Northanger Alibi

by Jenni James

  I sneered at her and tossed my phone on the bed. “No thanks to you.”

  “You’ll thank me after you’ve gone out with Jaden tomorrow, I promise. You’re gonna let me meet him, aren’t you?”

  ***

  My date with Jaden was different from anything I had ever experienced. Not that I’d been on many dates. Okay, so this was the very first. But I was certain this wasn’t what a dating experience was meant to be!

  “Um, are you sure we should be going seventy-five in a thirty-mile-an-hour zone?” I asked timidly as I held on for dear life. We were speeding through a neighborhood, and I knew that at any minute, we were going to hit something.

  Jaden laughed. “What are you worried about? I’m the best driver in the whole world.” He dodged a skittish cat, and the car swerved wildly to the right.

  I freaked. “You almost killed that cat!”

  “No way. The cat stopped.”

  “But what if it hadn’t?”

  “It did, so stop worrying about it.” Jaden turned the radio up louder. Rap music filled his older model sports car. The pounding bass only added to my confusion. “So, what do you think of my car?” he hollered over the music, looking smug.

  Apparently I was supposed to say it was the best car in the world. “Um—” Thankfully, I didn’t have to answer as we swerved to avoid a trash can that’d been knocked over.

  Jaden swore loud enough to be heard over the music, then called to me, “What is that? Why can’t people pick up their crap, anyway?”

  “Maybe you should slow down.” Please slow down.

  “No way! This car loves to fly! She goes a lot faster, too. Wanna see?”

  When I yelled, “No!” he revved up the engine and laughed. And drove faster.

  I checked my seat belt for the tenth time since getting in the car. It was fastened. Nervously, I clutched my phone, ready to dial 9-1-1 at any moment.

  “Besides, this is a shortcut. You’ll see. We’ll get there much faster this way.”

  “Yeah, but funny thing is, I’d rather get there alive!” I was beginning to lose my cool. What is it with guys and risking lives to show off, anyway?

  Just then, a little kid rode his bike into the street right in front of us.

  “Holy—!” Jaden jerked the steering wheel. The car missed the boy by mere inches, then whipped wildly back and forth.

  I lost it. “Jaden! Stop the car now. I’m getting out.”

  “What? Why?”

  I turned off the radio. “Because, you idiot. I don’t want to be a part of an involuntary manslaughter case! When you go to court, it’ll be your butt that ends up in the slammer, not mine.” He didn’t pull over, but he did slow down. I didn’t care. I was mad. “Stop this car!” When he ignored me, I flipped my phone open and began to dial.

  “What are you doing?” he bellowed. The car screeched to a halt. My seatbelt jerked against my shoulders, and I came within an inch of hitting the dashboard.

  In two seconds flat, I was out of my seatbelt and scrambling out of the car. By the time I had slammed my door shut, he had gotten out of the car too and was standing there with his door wide open.

  I glared at him over the top of the roof.

  “What is your problem?” The look he gave me could’ve soured milk. “Who were you calling, anyway?”

  I held up the phone. “The cops.”

  He swore a whole slew of profanity and thumped his hand down on the roof. “Are you kidding me? For what?”

  “For what? For what? Are you for real?” I stepped forward and banged my hand down on the roof too. “For abduction and dangerous driving, that’s what!”

  “For abduc—are you kidding me?” He looked away and yanked his hand through his hair. “You know, I thought you were really cool. I guess I was wrong. Excuse me, but I didn’t realize I had a little lawyer in my car.”

  “A little lawyer?” That did it. I hitched my purse up on my shoulder and started walking back the way we’d come. There is no way I’m getting into the car with that loser again. I can’t believe I actually gave up my date with Tony for this. Jaden is an egotistical moron!

  Thank goodness I had my tennis shoes on. I had a long walk ahead of me.

  Eleven

  The Great Escape

  “Claire.”

  Jaden’s voice sounded repentant, but I didn’t care. I walked faster.

  “Claire, come on!”

  I ignored him.

  “For crying out loud, you’re blowing this way out of proportion. Now come back.”

  Come back? As if I’m some dog he can call and I’ll come running? Maybe they do that here, but girls from Farmington don’t take that kind of—

  “Claire!” I could hear him jogging to catch up. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?”

  I kept walking.

  He swore again.

  You know, you catch a lot more flies with honey than you do with swear words.

  He caught up. “What do you want from me?” His stride had to shorten to keep pace with mine.

  That is so annoying. Why is he so tall, anyway? “Go away, Jaden,” I huffed as I picked up my pace. It was useless—he didn’t even have to try hard to match it. Speed walking was so not a talent of mine. I probably looked like a dork, but I didn’t care. There comes a point when you realize your life is more important than how stupid you look. I was at that point.

  “Claire, seriously, I’m really sorry, okay?”

  Do not give in. Do not give in.

  “You’re right. I acted like a total jerk back there. I’m sorry. Now will you get back in the car?”

  “No.”

  He sighed but didn’t protest. Instead, he put his hands in his pockets and strolled along while I panted next to him.

  Just go away. Sheesh.

  “So, where are you going, anyway?” He sounded amused, like he thought this was cute or something.

  “Anywhere that’s away from you.”

  “That’ll be kind of hard,” he had the audacity to point out. “Looks like I’m staying right next to you.”

  Ugh. I nudged him with my elbow. “Go away.”

  He chuckled at my attempt, but then answered seriously, “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can,” I growled at him. “Now leave me alone.”

  “Claire, I don’t care how mad you get, I’m not leaving you alone in this neighborhood. So forget it.” He seemed really pleased with himself, like I was supposed to congratulate him for suddenly remembering to be a gentleman.

  The dork!

  “You know what?” I stopped and put my hands on my hips. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me, okay?” I stomped my foot for good measure.

  Jaden looked down at that foot and stifled a grin.

  I could’ve cheerfully decked him. “I’m serious!” I snapped. “Go away.”

  “Look.” He folded his arms and glanced down the road. His car was about five hundred yards away. “I’m Native American. We stick together.”

  “What?” I looked at him again, really hard. “You’re Native American?” It was like he had just punched me in the gut. “Are you serious?” Why haven’t I noticed before?

  “Do you have a problem with that?” He seemed confused.

  “What? No, no!” I shook my head. “I have a lot of Navajo and Hopi friends in Farmington. What tribe are you from?” I had to ask, even though I knew the answer before he said it—

  “Quileute.”

  Oh my gosh. No wonder he was driving like a maniac—not caring about anyone. No wonder he’s so flippin’ tall. No wonder he doesn’t listen to anything I say. And that totally explains why he just grabbed me and kissed me yesterday. Jaden’s a werewolf! Just like Jacob Black in Twilight. Holy cow! How did this happen to me? Me!

  “What’s wrong, Claire? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “Jaden, what’s your last name?”

  “Black. Why? What’s—?”

  I didn’t hear the rest.

  I fell.r />
  ***

  “What do you mean, Jaden’s a werewolf? What are you talking about? There are no werewolves in the book anyway. What in the world gave you that idea?” Cassidy stopped pacing and turned toward me. “You know what I think? I think you hit your head harder than you thought.”

  “I didn’t hit my head. Jaden caught me before I fell all the way down.”

  “You are such a weirdo, Claire, you know that? A weirdo.” She continued pacing. “I can’t believe we were even raised in the same family. Look, just do me a favor and don’t tell people we’re related, okay?”

  “Cass, I’m serious. He’s a werewolf.”

  “He is not!” She walked right up to my bed, to which Darlene had sentenced me for the rest of the day, thanks to my collapsing episode. “You get it right out of your mind this instant! Do you hear me? Stop thinking you live in a book, okay?”

  “Cassidy, just because you can’t see the possibilities around you, doesn’t mean other people are blind. Jaden Black is a werewolf! He is. I’m positive of it. You should’ve seen him—”

  “Will you knock it off?” She marched over to the dresser, pulled out Twilight, and threw the large black book on my bed. “I read it, okay? I can see where you might’ve thought Tony was a vampire. I can see that.” She raised her hand when she saw my excitement. “It doesn’t mean he is. I can just acknowledge where you caught the idea that he might be one. Sheesh, after reading the book, even I wish he was.” She walked over to her bed and sat down, trying another tactic. “But, honey—” she smiled a brief, sad smile “—there’s nothing in that book to give any evidence that Jacob Black is a werewolf. Nothing. Just because he’s Native American and understands earth and nature a lot more than we do, does not make him a werewolf. Honestly, I don’t know—”

  “That’s it!” I threw the covers off and jumped out of bed.

  Cassidy gasped. “Where are you going? You can’t get up. You’re not allowed. Darlene said I had to make sure you stayed in bed.”

  “Oh, please. I’m not sick.” I walked over to the closet and yanked out my luggage. “So I got a little woozy.” After throwing the suitcase on the floor, I unzipped the front pouch. “There’s no reason for everyone to treat me like a little baby.” A-ha! With a sharp tug, I pulled out book two in the Twilight saga—New Moon, the book that introduces and describes everything werewolf related. “Here.” I tossed it across the room.

  She had to stretch to catch it. “What’s this?”

  “Book two. You’ve only read book one.” I grunted a bit as I zipped up the suitcase and shoved it in the closet.

  “Are you kidding me? You actually lugged this out here, too?” She turned it over in her hands. “How many books did you bring, anyway?”

  “All four.”

  “You brought four huge books like this on vacation? You are out of your mind.”

  “Yep. I had to. It’s the whole series.” I slumped back onto my bed and ordered, “Now read.”

  Cassidy groaned.

  “You do want to know what happens to Bella and Edward, don’t you?”

  She rolled her eyes but ran her fingers gently over the red and white flower on the cover.

  “Read. And hurry up, because I need your help.”

  “Knock knock,” Darlene called through the door.

  I quickly jumped under the covers. “Come in.”

  She carried in a large tray with a plate of sandwiches on it. “I heard you girls up here talking, so I figured you were awake now.” She smiled at me.

  I wasn’t asleep. I hadn’t been asleep. And I wasn’t going to sleep! “So, is Jaden gone?” I asked sweetly as I sat up and straighten the covers, making way for the food. Then, as an afterthought I added, “Thank you for dinner.”

  “No worries.” Darlene clucked. “You poor thing. How are you feeling now? Better?”

  Worse. She still hadn’t answered my question about the lying, two-faced, double-crossing, no good . . . “Is Jaden still here?”

  Darlene’s smile slipped as she glanced over at Cassidy. “Well, Cass, would you like a sandwich? I made some for you, too.”

  “He is here, isn’t he?” If I tried, I could probably smell him, the . . . the dog. Ugh. If he so much as even tries to come up here, I’ll—

  “Yes, dear.” Darlene wouldn’t meet my eyes. In fact, she hadn’t met my eyes since I’d had my huge blow up downstairs, when Jaden carried me into the house. As if I needed to be carried by such a pompous jerk. I would rather walk barefoot on broken glass than be held by that imbecile. I still couldn’t believe he had the guts to try and kiss me again, too, right as he was carrying me up the steps to the cottage, telling me I looked so cute and smelled so good that he wasn’t going to be able to help himself. Thank goodness Darlene opened the door when she did—it was the only thing that saved him.

  In disgust, I shook my head. Seriously, if he ever tries that again, I’ll bite his lips off!

  Darlene brushed the comforter with her hands. “I know you don’t want to talk to Jaden right now.” She tried to smile again. “But I don’t think he’s leaving until you at least say something to him. He’s pretty worried about you—you gave him quite a fright, falling down in the middle of the street like that.”

  At least I should be grateful nobody’s calling it fainting. Not that I did faint—I’m sure I didn’t. Okay, so there were a few moments I couldn’t remember, like actually being caught by Jaden. I didn’t remember that at all. I remembered being in his arms on the sidewalk, and I remembered him freaking out, but I don’t remember getting back into the car. I can vaguely recall some of the drive, but I don’t think I fully came to my senses until the moron had the gall to try to kiss me again on that stupid front porch.

  Darlene was still talking. “. . . it’s okay, though. He’s on the phone with your parents now, and I’m sure—”

  “Excuse me. Who’s on the phone with my parents?”

  She gave me a sympathetic look. “Jaden, dear.”

  “Jaden? Jaden Black is on the phone with my parents right now?” What in the world? “Send him in, please.” I smiled to reassure her, but I don’t think it worked. “I want to talk to him.” That did it. Obviously, Darlene was all about getting us to speak to each other.

  “Okay.” She fluttered around the room and tidied a couple of things. “I’ll send him right up.”

  “Uh, I’ll go see if Mom wants to talk to me,” Cassidy suggested. I could tell she would rather be anywhere but in here when I let Jaden have it.

  “Okay. Great.” Darlene was all smiles now, and her eyes finally met mine. “He’ll be so happy you want to talk to him, I’m sure. He’s been so worried. And he seems like the nicest guy. If I had a daughter, I would—oh, never mind. Let me go get him for you.”

  “Thanks.” I thought my smile would crack under the strain as she left.

  How dare that little—er, big—weasel worm his way into my friends’ and family’s hearts! How dare he talk to my parents and reassure them. That’s all I need—everyone falling for the werewolf! The reckless, wild, Anger Management Anonymous werewolf! Great. Fabulous. Just back-flippin’ dandy.

  I sighed as I heard his heavy footsteps creak up the stairs.

  What would Bella have done in my shoes?

  Twelve

  Vampires, Werewolves,

  and Me . . . Oh My!

  “Hey, you.” Jaden peeked his head into the room. “Is it safe now?”

  Depends on your definition of “safe.” “Sure, come in.” I don’t eat wolf, anyway.

  “Darlene says you’re feeling better.” He walked in, and I gasped to see his head almost brushing the slanted ceiling in places.

  “How tall are you?”

  He shrugged and grinned. “I don’t know. Last time we checked, I was around six three. Why?”

  “Just curious.” His smile was pretty cute. It was the same smile he used on me the first time I saw him. “Why aren’t you watching the Mariners game? I thought yo
u’d be long gone by now.”

  “Nope. I have some things I needed to sort out with you first.”

  Well, that makes two of us, buddy. I pointed to the stuffed chair across the room. “Have a seat.” After he sat down, I asked, “So, who did you talk to, my mom or my dad?”

  “Ah—that’s why you’ve had a sudden change of heart. Both.”

  Both? Ugh! I smiled sweetly. “Really?”

  “Yep. They’re both pretty nice, too. Except your mom’s a bit concerned, of course.”

  “Of course.” I’m sure you told her every gory detail.

  “Especially once she learned about your fascination with werewolves.”

  My jaw dropped. What? He heard that? He told my mom that? Dang! “How did you—?”

  “Know?” he finished, one eyebrow raised flirtatiously as he leaned forward in the chair. “About your fascination with werewolves? Hmm . . . could it be your love of Twilight? Or wait, maybe it’s Native Americans. Or could it possibly be my last name, Black?”

  He’s good. He’s really good. “So, you figured it out?”

  “The reason why you fainted? Yeah—”

  “I did not faint!”

  Jaden chuckled as he pulled himself out of the chair and stalked over to my bed, his dark eyes glittering dangerously. All of a sudden, I found myself wishing I wasn’t alone. He was a werewolf, after all, and everyone knows their moods change extremely fast. He prowled right up to me and leaned over.

  “Yes, you fainted.” His eyes hungrily devoured my face, and I gulped. “You’re really lucky I like you, because I could’ve eaten you right there on the street.”

  “Really?” My eyes were huge.

  He gave me a slow, sexy smile and leaned down farther. I sank into my pillows. Do something. Scream. Bite. Push. Something. Why in the world are you frozen? Only vampires are frozen! That did it. Just as I opened my mouth to scream, Jaden covered it with his.

  Oh my gosh! About ten rapid heartbeats pounded before he released me.