Hurricane (The Charmed)

by Dianne Nutting

  “Then don’t, starting right now.”

  Lyla slipped her hand out of his and walked out the classroom. Chase watched her go. It felt like a piece of him left with her.

  Chase waited a beat and then walked out of the classroom. He looked down the deserted hallway but Lyla was nowhere to be seen. He cursed his luck at scaring her away and headed to Mr. M’s class. He knocked on the door.

  Mr. M opened the door and was surprised to see Chase standing there. “Chase? What’s wrong?”

  “May I talk with you for a minute?”

  Mr. M felt Chase’s frustration and opened the door wider for him to enter. “It’s my free period. Come on back.” They walked to the back of the room and Chase sat in a chair while Mr. M shut the door.

  He sat in his desk chair and turned to look at Chase. “What’s got you troubled?”

  “I want to know about Lyla.”

  Mr. M, had picked up his coffee but it never reached his lips. “How do you know her?”

  “I just kissed her.” Chase stared at Mr. M waiting for a response.

  Mr. M raised his left eyebrow and paused, choosing his words carefully. “Before I tell you anything, why don’t you explain how you met her and found yourself lip locked.”

  Chase sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Mr. M was like a father to him so he began his story.

  “From the beginning of school I kept feeling a something, a presence maybe? I thought it was my eighteenth birthday approaching but it didn’t explain why I felt somebody around me when nobody was there. I would look toward the place where I thought someone was standing only to see no one. I started to get disoriented, like a spell would flicker over me. A little like when Jaden used to hit me with a stunning spell when we were nine.”

  Mr. M had a fondness for that memory but couldn’t laugh about it. This was too serious a problem. “So what happened today to turn the tide?”

  “During the tornado drill, someone pushed her into me.”

  “Pushed her into you? Like they knew she was there and did it on purpose?”

  “No. More like the crowd was too rowdy and she was pushed. In any case, her charm fell away and I saw her for the first time.”

  Mr. M waited but didn’t get anything more from Chase. “That still doesn’t explain how you were kissing her.”

  Chase waited a moment. He looked down at his pant leg, picking a piece of lint off them. “I realized she was cloaking.” He stopped and looked up at Mr. M. “A witch arriving into town and cloaking, are you kidding me?! I have to admit. The thought of it made me curious. So I did a revealing charm. It wasn’t hard to find her; she was a little emotionally upset at bumping into me so her charm was flicking off and on. I saw her under the bleachers.”

  “And?” Trying to pry the information out of Chase was like attempting to take a paint can lid off a jar that had dried shut.

  “And when I went under the bleachers I tripped over a bar and fell into her. She kissed me.” He looked up at Mr. M a little baffled.

  “And you kissed her back.”

  “I guess I did.” Chase ran his hand through his hair and stood up. He began to pace back and forth in the small space. “She told me her name when she ran out of there and I met up with her outside and made her talk to me.”

  “That’s how you knew I was in on it.”

  “Yep.”

  “Okay, now that we’re all caught up. I’ve never seen you so frazzled over a girl before.”

  “You’ve seen her, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Here I am senior year, this girl bumps into me and she happens to be the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever seen and she kisses me. Plus she’s been around but invisible and I can feel where she is so yeah, you could say I’m a bit curious, edgy, worked up, or, what’s your word? Frazzled.”

  Interesting, Mr. M thought. Chase had never showed more than mild interest in any girl before. “Chase, I think there’s a reason for some of this but I won’t know until tomorrow.”

  “Why tomorrow?”

  “Lyla is supposed to be turning eighteen today. I’ve been working with her but her parents won’t tell me the exact time of birth. I don’t think it really is today. I want you to meet me at my house at three a.m. tomorrow.”

  “Okay, but why?”

  “I’ll need you. I was going to ask Jaden but I want to keep him out of this for a little while longer until my suspicions are confirmed.”

  “You’re not going to tell me why, are you?”

  “Nope.”

  “Okay.” Chase sighed. “I hope you’re going to tell me this is just a fluke, something to do with the moon and year or something like that. I’m getting tired of this restless feeling.”

  “I can guarantee you it’s nothing to do with the moon or some fluke.”

  “So I’m going to be restless all year?”

  “You’ll be no different than any other senior in high school Chase.”

  Chase laughed. “Okay. I’ll meet you.” The bell rang. “Thanks for talking with me.”

  “Sure. See you tomorrow morning.”

  Chase groaned as he walked out of the room. Three a.m. was early.

  Mr. M kept an eye on both Chase and Lyla until they arrived in his room at the last period of the day. Lyla snuck into the room as usual and Mr. M noticed Chase move his head toward the office, recognizing the sense that she was there.

  Before the end of the period, Mr. M went into his office and shut the door. He was prone to do this so it didn’t raise any alarm bells in the kids. He sat opposite Lyla and started with the speech he had rehearsed all day.

  “Lyla, I know that you and Chase met today.”

  Lyla’s eyes widened. “You’re not going to tell my parents, are you?”

  “Good heavens no, I was just wondering if you would change your mind about cloaking.”

  Lyla shook her head. “No. It was the only condition my parents gave me. Besides no friends or boyfriends or meeting anyone. Well, you get it.”

  “I don’t really, no.” Mr. M weighed his words carefully. “Lyla do you know anything about Chase?”

  “No.”

  “Why the kiss then?”

  “I have no idea. Call it a compulsion; call it whatever you like but it happened, so I don’t really want to dwell on the why.”

  “I’ll tell you just a little about him. Chase’s parents aren’t the warmest of people. Jaden and Chase have been friends since they were born, virtually inseparable. Chase is like a son to me, a brother to Jaden. We’re very protective of him, if you understand where I’m going with this.”

  “I think so.”

  “What compelled you to risk revealing yourself? Part of me is grateful it was someone like Chase and the other part is upset he might get mixed up in whatever secret your parents are hiding. What I’m saying is I don’t want Chase to get hurt.”

  “I wish I could say I’ll leave, but just the thought of it is painful.” She looked through the window at Chase who was talking and laughing with Jaden. Mr. M followed her gaze and witnessed Chase turn his head and look directly at her. “Something keeps pushing us together. No, that’s not the right word.” She thought for a moment still staring through the window. “It’s not a crush or some puppy love thing, it’s something more magnetic. We’re drawn to each other.” She looked down at her hands wringing them in frustration. “I wish I wasn’t. I’m sorry I put Chase in this predicament, last thing I wanted to be is some kind of trouble.” Tears fell from her eyes.

  Mr. M looked through the window again at Chase. Chase was looking at them, worry lines creasing his face.

  The bell rang, signaling the end of school.

  Lyla stayed put in her chair, face in her hands, trying not to cry but being unsuccessful.

  Chase said something to Jaden, picked his backpack up and headed to Mr. M’s office.

  The classroom cleared out and Chase opened the office door, shut it quickly behind, setting his pack down in the doo
rway. He reached over and drew the blinds closed. Chase pulled a chair over and sat next to Lyla wrapping his arms around her, cradling her head on his chest. He rested his head on hers, looking at Mr. M.

  Mr. M nodded. It was clear Lyla wasn’t the only one this was happening to. He had to find out whether his hunch was correct and fast.

  Chase rubbed his hand up and down Lyla’s back. He knew what she was going through. It was complete hell being thrown into something like this when both of the people involved had been loners in relationships their whole life.

  “So, Mr. M, what is this?”

  Lyla sat up, wiping her eyes. Chase reached down and grasped her hand in his. He needed the connection. It had been a difficult few hours trying to figure any of this out.

  “I don’t know just yet.” He took a hand and rubbed it across his forehead in contemplative thought. “Lyla, have you felt yourself come into a surge of power yet? Anything?”

  “No. Mom said I was born at three thirty in the morning. I should have woke up from it right?”

  “And let me guess, not only did you not wake up but you don’t feel any different, do you?”

  “No.” A worry line formed between her eyebrows.

  Chase reached over with his left hand, placed it on the side of her face and smoothed the worry line out.

  “Chase, you feel her emotions, don’t you?”

  Chase didn’t look over at Mr. M he continued to look at Lyla. “Yes.”

  Mr. M stood beginning to pace in the small room. “I’ve never seen anything like this. Lyla there has to be some connection as to why your parents want you to cloak. Have you ever felt this kind of pull before?”

  “No. I was mostly home schooled. The regular schools I went to were during elementary and deep in the mountains. I went to a high school in Virginia, nothing even remotely similar to this feeling or draw. What can we do?”

  “I’ll know more tomorrow.” Mr. M looked at his watch.

  “What’s tomorrow?” Chase looked over at Mr. M.

  “I believe Lyla’s parents lied to everyone about her birth. I believe Lyla will be coming into her powers tomorrow morning.”

  “Why would my parents do that?” Lyla had a crease between her eyebrows again.

  Chase let go of Lyla’s hand and stood up. He looked around the room, at Mr. M, at Lyla. “Because tomorrow is November first, the most powerful day of the year.”

  “Exactly. Lyla, they would have wanted you to be off the grid.”

  “Off the grid? What are you two talking about?”

  Chase sat down and stared Lyla directly into her deep gray eyes. He picked up her hand. “Lyla, nobody of our kind is born on November first.”

  Mr. M put a hand up to stop Chase. “No need to scare her right now. Let’s take it one day at a time. If nothing happens, we’re out of danger and nobody was upset.”

  “And if it does? What then?” Lyla was sitting up straight, clearly alarmed.

  “Most likely your parents will say it’s a delay because of emotions. We don’t have a delay, we have less powers but not a delay. Remember that. Go with it. Last thing I need is for you to be whisked away in the middle of the night and not find you anymore. You need help if tomorrow is the day. Chase, you’re going to be late for football.” He glanced up at the clock.

  “Crap, I didn’t notice the time.” He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote his number on it, handed it to Lyla. Lyla took it and put it in her pocket.

  Mr. M watched the exchange and cringed. They would be hard to break up. And they needed to.

  Chapter 4

  Three-thirty, the witching hour

  Lyla went home and holed herself up in her room like she did every day after school. Since she was an only child, it afforded her the luxury of doing this without any parents harassing her. She did her homework and tried to read, paced the room and finally an hour after a quiet dinner where her parents asked less than a few questions, she spoke a silencing charm and called Chase.

  Chase answered the phone after the second ring. “Hello?”

  “Hi. It’s Lyla.”

  “Hi. Hold on.” She could hear him run up some stairs and the sound of a door shutting. She heard him quietly speak a few words. Most likely it was a silencing charm, as well.

  “What do you think Mr. M meant by he’ll ‘know tomorrow’?” Lyla spoke up first.

  “I don’t know. It’s a little frustrating. Your parents are quiet on the matter and now Mr. M.”

  “I know. Not like I can do much about it. Chase?”

  “Yes.”

  “Does it hurt; the rush of power?”

  She could hear a hesitation on the other end. He was weighing his words carefully. “It’s intense. Not painful but so overwhelming it takes a bit to adjust. Once the rush hits though, the feeling tempers down to a dull roar.”

  “I’m a little scared.”

  “Lyla, most people are. You wouldn’t be normal if you weren’t a little bit scared. I was over at Jaden’s when it hit for me. Mr. M helped me through it.”

  “Not your parents?”

  “Uh, no. They don’t really do that warm and fuzzy stuff. What about your parents? Will they be there for you?”

  She thought for a moment. “Possibly. I don’t know.”

  Chase was silent for a moment. “Do you understand what’s happening to us?”

  “No. I’ve been alone my whole life; I thought it was just that. Loneliness. But it feels like something stronger, something out of our control.”

  “It’s frustrating.” Chase spoke before he could check himself. “I mean, not understanding.” He sighed.

  “I know what you mean, I’m frustrated too.”

  “I think you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, Lyla.”

  Lyla’s heart dropped. He thought she was beautiful.

  “I want to spend some time with you.”

  “I’d love that…but I don’t know how. My parent’s keep me pretty much under lock and key.”

  Chase laughed, “I’ve noticed. Where there’s a will there’s a way Lyla.”

  Lyla giggled at that. “I have a will I just don’t have a way, not yet.”

  “You work on your end, I’ll work on mine. There has to be something we can do so you don’t have to cloak anymore. I don’t want people to start talking about me because I kiss you and all they see is me kissing air.”

  “You’re going to kiss me?”

  “I planned to, yes.”

  Lyla was glad Chase couldn’t see her blush.

  Chase lowered his voice a little. “Your lips are all I think about nowadays.”

  Her heart began to race. A small pain erupted just behind her left shoulder. Lyla rubbed it and the pain went away. She had been so preoccupied with her shoulder that she didn’t notice the voices coming down the hallway until they were right at her door. They couldn’t hear her, but she could hear them.

  Lyla lowered her voice to whisper. “Chase, someone is outside my door. I have to go before they realize I put a silencing charm on the room.”

  “Okay. Lyla?”

  “Yes?”

  “Will you meet me outside the school tomorrow, early?”

  “Where?”

  “The bench out front.”

  Lyla smiled. There was the way. “Yes. Bye.”

  “Goodnight, Lyla.”

  Lyla hung up the phone a lot lighter than she had been in weeks. She whispered the un-silence charm and waited.

  “Lyla, your father and I want to talk to you.”

  Phew! Lyla thought. Just in time. “Okay.” She waved her hand and the door flew open.

  Lyla’s parents came into her room. Her father, a tall white-haired man who always looked old for his age, sat in a chair at Lyla’s desk. Her mother always wore a stern expression accentuated by a tight bun which pulled her features up sharply.

  “How was school today?” Lyla’s mother asked.

  “Good, Mr. M is great.”

  “
Mr. M?” Her mother creased her brow in confusion.

  “Oh, sorry, Mr. McCown, he likes us to call him Mr. M.” Lyla scooted back on her bed allowing her mother to sit on the edge.

  Her father sighed. “Did you feel anything this morning?”

  “You mean my powers? No.”

  Her mother patted her hand, “Oh good, you’re one of the lucky ones, must have hit while you slept.”

  Her father gave her an unconvincing smile. “They’ll most likely come in full force by the morning, it’ll be delayed. Your mother and I got you a present since it’s your eighteenth birthday today.” He pulled out a box and handed it to Lyla.

  She opened the box and pulled out a bracelet. “Oh my! How pretty!”

  Her mother leaned forward to clasp it on her wrist. “There are eighteen strings in all. I know it’s a bit busy for you but each band represents your life.”

  Lyla looked down at the intricately woven band. “Why is there a black one?” If Lyla hadn’t been paying close attention, she would have missed the hesitation in her mother’s voice.

  “Your grandmother’s death was hard on you. You were only two but you asked about her every day.”

  Her mother never looked up into her face, Lyla could tell she was lying but left it alone.

  Her parents stood. “Come on down for cake.”

  Lyla followed them but her mind never stopped wondering what her parents kept hiding.

  She lay awake that night. She thought of her life and how hectic it had been. Why had her parents lied to her? She drifted into a fitful sleep finally unaware that three-thirty was approaching fast.

  Mr. M and Chase were parked two doors down looking up at Lyla’s window. “Are you going to tell me why we’re here?” Chase stared at the window, longing to jump through it and into her room.

  “I told you. I think her birthday is really today.”

  “Yeah, yeah, and you said nobody has that date that it’s our most powerful day and all. What does that have to do with Lyla?”

  “I’m not a hundred percent sure. The last person to have that birthday was given immense power. It only happens every hundred years. I’m a little bit of an expert on the subject.”

  “And what’s that subject called?” Chase began throwing a Nerf ball at the dashboard.