“Everyone knows they’re going to lock you up in the loony bin, Bay,” Lila called out. “ You’re crazy and you shouldn’t be on the street. You’re ugly, too. You’re so ugly your father took one look at you and ran away when you were born.”
“That did it,” Landon said, releasing my hand and moving toward Lila. “I’ve had just about enough of her.”
“The whole world has had just about enough of her, son.” Chief Terry moved into Landon’s path, taking us by surprise. I was stunned to see him. He looked younger – and definitely had more hair – but his kind smile was in place. “You can’t get involved in this. You can’t fix it.”
“Do you know who we are?” I asked, surprised.
“I could never forget you,” Chief Terry said, winking in my direction. “Don’t look so sad, Bay. This is just Lila being Lila. You were always better than her.”
“What are you doing here?” Landon asked. “Why are you stopping me? This isn’t real. I can run that kid over with a car, back over her again for good measure, and drop her in the lake, and nothing will happen because it’s a memory.”
“I know that,” Chief Terry said. “If you think I’m happy about being the bully police in a memory, you’re wrong. That’s not why you’re here, though. As much as you’d like to pop that kid – and I would, too – you’re here for another purpose.”
“Which is?” Landon prodded.
“Just watch,” Chief Terry said, reaching over to squeeze my shoulder. “You grew up just as I knew you would. Sadly, I knew you’d end up with a guy like this, too.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Landon asked, offended. “You like me.”
“You have long hair,” I said, smirking. “Chief Terry always warned me about guys with long hair.”
“Because we’re so handsome?”
“Because you’re sex fiends,” Chief Terry answered for me. “Now stop talking about stuff that’s going to make me want to thump you, and watch Lila.”
“I don’t remember this,” I admitted.
“That’s because you left early,” Chief Terry replied. “Not everyone left.”
I fixed my eyes on Thistle, who watched Lila with what could only be described as murderous intent. “She’s not going to beat her up, is she?”
“Thistle doesn’t need fists to get revenge,” Chief Terry answered. “Granted, she’s not above using them, but she has other ways of making Lila Stevens pay.”
“She also has help,” Landon said, inclining his head in Aunt Tillie’s direction. “What are these two about to do?”
“Show Bay they love her the only way they know how,” Chief Terry replied.
“And how is that?”
“They’re about to be really mean.”
“How come you’re not running away like Bay the Baby?” Lila asked, locking gazes with Thistle. “Are you going to tell me I’m a big meanie and punch me like you usually do? Don’t forget what the principal said. If you touch me again you’re going to be expelled.”
“That’s at school,” Thistle said, clutching her ice cream cone tightly and standing. “It’s spring break. I can do whatever I want to you off school grounds.”
Lila’s smile slipped. “No, that’s not true.”
“Of course it’s true,” Thistle scoffed. “The principal can’t do anything away from school grounds.”
“Then I’ll tell Deputy Terry,” Lila said. “He’s standing right over there watching.”
“Deputy?” Landon glanced at Chief Terry. “I guess that makes sense. I’ve only ever known you as the chief. That’s kind of weird.”
“I’m still the boss,” Chief Terry said. “Don’t forget it.”
“Deputy Terry,” Lila sang out. “Thistle is threatening me.”
“Good,” Deputy Terry replied. “I hope she kicks the crap out of you.”
Lila’s mouth dropped open. “What? You can’t say that.”
“I can say whatever I want,” Deputy Terry shot back. “I’m the law around here, and as such, I can do whatever I want.”
“You’ve been dying to dust that one off, haven’t you?” Landon said, laughing.
“But … Thistle is going to hurt me,” Lila said. “That’s against the law.”
“So is being a bully.”
“I’m not a bully,” Lila shrieked. “Bay Winchester is the bully. She’s mean … and she’s weird … and she’s … ow!”
I jerked my head up, frowning as Lila grabbed her jaw as if she’d been punched. Thistle was still five feet away from her. I risked a glance at Aunt Tillie and found her smiling.
“What did she just do?” Landon asked.
“She punched her with her mind,” Chief Terry said, mimicking an actual punch. Apparently, in Aunt Tillie’s mind Chief Terry is something of a goof. That kind of made sense. He was ‘The Man” before Landon showed up.
“Let me tell you something, Lila,” Thistle seethed. “You’re a horrible person. You get off on making Bay miserable. That doesn’t make you a better a person, it just makes you sad and pathetic.
“If I were you, I would be very careful about how you talk to Bay from now on,” she continued. “I’m not Bay. She’s too nice to say something to you, but I’m mean. I like being mean. I’m meaner than you ever dreamed of being.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” Lila snapped. “Ow!” She grabbed the other side of her face. No one struck her, yet she clearly felt the sting.
“I will make you miserable if you don’t stay away from Bay,” Thistle said. “I have a very powerful friend.”
“Is she imaginary, like Bay’s friends?” Lila challenged. “Ow! Stop it!” Lila was on the verge of hysterics. She kept getting hit, yet no one was there to do the deed.
“My friend is evil incarnate,” Thistle said. “In fact, I think you’re going to wake up with a face full of zits and a butt to match tomorrow. That’s what my friend is going to do to you.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” Lila said, although she took a step back to increase the distance between Thistle and herself. “My mother says that all those stories about your family are lies.”
This time, instead of being struck, Lila’s pants split up the back seam. “Omigod!” she screeched, reaching behind her to cover her rear end. “How are you doing this? The same thing happened to my mother.”
I glanced at Aunt Tillie and found her bent over at the waist because she was laughing so hard.
“I’m really liking Aunt Tillie right now,” Landon said. “She’s letting Lila think Thistle is doing this so she’ll be terrified of Thistle’s powers.”
“I never knew this happened,” I said.
“Did Lila treat you better after this?”
“No, but she didn’t say a lot in front of Thistle most of the time,” I replied. “I guess we know why.”
“You had better run, Lila,” Thistle growled, her voice growing deep. “The next thing I’m going to rip is that bra you spend hours stuffing every morning.”
Lila didn’t have to be told twice. She turned and ran in the opposite direction, her hands busy as they tried to cover her behind.
Thistle watched her go for a moment and then glanced over her shoulder, searching until she found Aunt Tillie. “That was fun. Don’t forget to give her zits.”
“Adding them to her butt was a nice touch,” Aunt Tillie cackled. “Do you want to give her body odor, too?”
Thistle shrugged. “Why not? She deserves it.”
“She definitely deserves it,” Aunt Tillie agreed. “Come on. Let’s buy Bay an ice cream cone to take home. She didn’t get to finish the one she had.”
I glanced up when I felt Landon’s finger on my cheek. I hadn’t realized I was crying. “I never knew about this.”
“Sometimes loyalty comes in strange ways,” Landon said, gripping my hand. “I still want to kick Lila in the face.”
“Me, too,” Chief Terry said, lifting his leg and swinging it around.
“Huh,” Lando
n muttered. “Did you know Aunt Tillie pictured Chief Terry this way?”
“No,” I answered, shaking my head as the colors began to blur. “I can’t wait to tell him, though.”
Hike up your boobs, Clove. We’re about to be pulled over, and if I get another ticket they’re going to yank my license.
– Aunt Tillie using Clove’s ample assets to get out of a ticket
Thirteen
“Oomph.”
I ruefully rubbed my sore tailbone as I met Landon’s worried gaze. I knew he wanted to say something about the Lila mess, but there was nothing he could say to ease the troubles of childhood. There was nothing anyone could say.
“Bay … .”
I cut him off. “It was a long time ago,” I said. “I’m not the same little girl Lila terrorized all those years ago. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine,” Landon argued, reaching for my hand. “I’m sorry. When I said I wished you’d focus on the good memories instead of the bad I don’t think I understood what you went through.
“When I was a kid, the worst I had to put up with was the occasional wedgie from my brothers,” he continued. “That was … entirely different.”
“Girls are different,” I said, moving to push myself up. “Boys get in each other’s faces and then it’s over with. Girls are … meaner.”
“I was going to say evil,” Landon said, grabbing my arm and jerking me down on his lap. “I’m ready to be done. That last one wasn’t remotely fun.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I enjoyed seeing Thistle and Aunt Tillie take Lila down. That never gets old.”
“That part wasn’t bad,” Landon conceded. “Strangely enough, I liked seeing Chief Terry acting like an idiot, too. I can’t wait to tell him about that.”
“Do you think he’ll believe we were stuck in Aunt Tillie’s mind for the longest afternoon ever?”
“I think he believes everything where you’re concerned,” Landon replied, kissing my cheek. “Seriously, though. I’m tired and I’m sore. Do you think we’re going to be bruised tomorrow because of all these hard landings?”
“I hope not. I have plans for you. This is not how I envisioned us spending our weekend.”
“That makes two of us,” Landon said, resting his chin on my shoulder. We lapsed into silence for a few minutes, the only sound the birds chirping, but when Landon cleared his throat I knew he wasn’t quite ready to give up on the Lila conversation. “What are you thinking?”
The question took me by surprise. “I’m wondering why Thistle never told me about her altercation with Lila,” I admitted. “If she didn’t tell me about that one, I bet she’s hiding a few more run-ins from me.”
“I know why she didn’t tell you.”
“Oh, really? Tell me, wise one.”
“That’s cute,” Landon said. “You call me that in bed later.”
“I thought you wanted me to call you the love maestro?”
“That’s for special occasions,” Landon said. “Back to Thistle, though. She didn’t tell you because she didn’t want you to be embarrassed about her fighting your battles.”
“She always fought my battles,” I argued. “This should’ve been no different.”
“She wanted you to find your own footing, Bay,” Landon said. “She was afraid that if she told you what she did you would start using her as a crutch. That never happened because you went away to find yourself and came back a stronger person. Thistle did you a favor.”
“More than one, apparently.”
“I guess I’m going to have to be nicer to her when she goes all grumpy next time, huh?” Landon said, rubbing his nose against my cheek. “She was pretty impressive for a twelve-year-old.”
“She had help,” I reminded him.
“Yeah, well, Aunt Tillie was impressive, too,” Landon said. “I’m starting to think some of these memories are for her benefit and the rest are for your benefit. Why do you think that is?”
“I have no idea, but I can’t wait to find out,” I said, pressing my lips to his chin for a moment before patting his knee. “Let’s see when we’re at now, shall we?”
“I’m guessing we’re about to see you as a full-blown teenager,” Landon said, pushing me to a standing position before joining me. “The intervals have been fairly regular.”
“You know, if we keep on this path, we’ll eventually get to you,” I pointed out. “It won’t be so funny when we see you.”
“I’m handsome in any period,” Landon replied. “I can take it.”
“It’s a good thing you don’t have a big ego,” I said. “If you did, you’d be unbearable.”
“I think we’re both happy my ego is tiny.”
I was about to make a joke that would’ve tipped his tiny ego into overdrive when the bushes to our left parted and a teenage girl, blond hair flying, raced into the clearing. She pulled up short when she saw us, her blue eyes locking onto mine. They were mirror images.
“Who are you?” This Bay was about seventeen if I had to guess. She was dressed in cutoff shorts – much like the ones I wore – and a Backstreet Boys T-shirt that made me smirk.
“We’re friends of the family,” Landon replied automatically.
“Uh-huh.” Bay didn’t look convinced. She glanced over her shoulder as Thistle and Clove joined her, both of them veering to the side when they realized they weren’t alone.
“Who are they?” Thistle asked.
“They say they’re friends of the family,” Bay answered.
“Oh, that’s such crap,” Thistle said. “Who are you really? If you’re looking for pot, there’s none here. I don’t care what those old biddies in town say. That’s a lie.”
“Do I look like I’m searching for pot?” Landon asked, annoyed.
“You look like a hippie freak,” Clove answered. “You’re also a stranger. We’re not supposed to talk to strangers.”
“Oh, will you let that go?” Thistle snapped. “We’re not five. We can talk to strangers.”
“Aunt Tillie says that the stranger rule is more important now than ever because the strangers who try to talk to us are after our virtue,” Clove supplied. “I’m not quite sure what she means by that, but it doesn’t sound good.”
“It means that she thinks weirdos want to have sex with us,” Thistle shot back.
“Oh, gross,” Clove said, wrinkling her nose. “Now I’m going to have nightmares.”
“Join the club,” Landon intoned, knitting his eyebrows together as younger Bay circled him. She clearly liked what she saw. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know,” Bay answered. “You seem familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”
“She means she wants to know you,” Thistle teased. “He has long hair like that guy in the magazine, Bay. Do you want to kiss him, too?”
Bay’s cheeks colored. “No. It’s just … he seems familiar.”
Landon and I exchanged an odd look.
“Familiar how?” Landon asked. Unfortunately, we couldn’t carry on a conversation in front of three teenagers the same way we could in front of smaller children. I didn’t remember all of the specifics about being a teenager, but I knew we weren’t idiots.
“I honestly don’t know,” younger Bay answered. “Maybe I’ve seen you around town before. Do you live in Walkerville?”
“It’s going to be Hemlock Cove in a few months if the town council has its way,” Clove said. “You should start calling it by its new name.”
“That’s a stupid name,” Thistle complained. “This whole idea to make a magic town for tourists is stupid. I don’t think that’s going to happen anyway.”
“You’re always such a ray of sunshine,” Bay said, refusing to move her eyes from Landon. It was an odd feeling to watch teenage me check out current me’s boyfriend. Wow! Maybe Lila was right about the therapy. After this excursion, I might need it. “I think Hemlock Cove is a cool name.”
“You would,” Thistle shot back. “It’s going to
make people suspicious.”
“They’re already suspicious,” younger Bay said. “Are you sure I don’t know you? I really feel like I know you.”
“I’m sure,” Landon said. “What would people be suspicious about?”
“I thought you were a friend of the family?” Thistle challenged. “Shouldn’t a friend of the family know what we’d be worried about?”
“You are a delight, no matter what age you are,” Landon muttered.
“She’s talking about the witch secret,” I supplied, internally smirking as Clove’s eyes widened and Thistle’s narrowed. This was the typical way they reacted to everything, even today.
“How do you know about that?” Thistle asked, instantly alert.
“Ixnay on the itch talk ay,” Clove said.
Thistle made a face. “Did you just speak in pig Latin?”
Clove nodded. “We need a code.”
“Yes, they’ll never be able to break the one code everyone in the free world knows,” Thistle said, cuffing the back of Clove’s head. “Think.”
“Don’t do that to her,” Landon ordered. “Be nice. She’s your cousin.”
“Butt out,” Thistle spat, bobbing her head back and forth. She’d obviously taken to dying it over the intervening years. It was a bright pink color today. “You’re not a friend of the family, no matter what you say, and this conversation is none of your business.”
“Then perhaps you shouldn’t have it in front of me,” Landon suggested.
“I like him,” younger Bay announced. “I want to keep him.”
“Oh, this is a lot creepier than last time,” Landon said, carefully grabbing younger Bay’s hand as she pressed it against his chest. “Now I really do feel like a pervert.”
“I told you.”
“Yes, you know all and see all,” Landon said, releasing Bay’s hand and grabbing my shoulders so he could shove my body in front of his. “Rein in her hormones right now. I don’t like this.”
“What kind of pervert doesn’t like attention from a teenage girl?” Aunt Tillie asked, appearing at the edge of the clearing. “I think you’re reading your pervert manual wrong.”
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