Switch (New World Series)

by Janelle Stalder

  “Acquaintances. Good ones, but just acquaintances – we really do keep to ourselves.”

  “Me, too,” I said under my breath.

  From the corner of my eye, in the reflection of the window I could see Madison and a girl whose name I thought was Anna coming toward us. My body tensed; I didn’t know why, but I wanted nothing to do with this girl. Draven tightened his arm around me as if to say, Calm down; I’m here, and you’re safe, and oddly it worked; I felt confident enough to be myself.

  “Food – perfect,” Madison said, nudging Aden’s arm for him to move.

  He didn’t get up; he just slid in front of me and put her plate in front of her. ”So much for a distraction,” Aden mumbled, looking at Madison.

  Madison’s eyes angled at him, and she quietly said, “Doing my best – it’s just Anna.”

  I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering what they were talking about. I mean, Madison knew I didn’t really care for the friends she went to school with – but how would Aden and Draven know that? Why would they want her to keep them away from me tonight? I stared at Madison, trying to figure out what was going on, but she just kept her head down and was eating as fast as possible.

  The Anna girl had slid in the booth next to Madison and leaned across the table, smiling at me and Draven.

  “Charlie, you’re home!” the girl said with an obvious fake excitement.

  I nodded and tried to look somewhat happy to see her.

  “Listen, we’re all going back to my house to watch movies and stuff. Madison has already called her mom – call your sister.” She tilted her head and smiled at Draven. “Everyone can come.”

  I shook my head, trying to look polite. “Sorry, I’m tired.”

  Madison looked nervously at Draven as she tried to eat as fast as she could.

  “Draven, you still want to come, right?” the girl said, reaching to touch his hand. An absurd jealously that I couldn’t explain consumed me; at that moment, this girl was my only enemy – and that was a foolish thought, considering what I fought every day.

  He managed to sit up straighter and pull it away at just the right moment. I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. “I’m riding with Charlie so she’ll know how to get back to her house.”

  The girl tried to smile, but it was clear she didn’t understand why I needed help finding my house. She looked at Draven and said, “GPS. She’ll be fine, come.”

  “She’s tired, Anna; drop it,” Madison said, obviously annoyed. “I’ll text you tomorrow,” she said to me as she pushed against Anna, who was refusing to move.

  The girl looked at Aden. “You don’t have an excuse – you have to come.”

  Aden shook his head and pointed at Draven. “I’m his ride.”

  Draven tried to hide his smile, but he couldn’t. Aden glared back at him.

  “Well, Charlie, like I said: welcome home,” Anna said, trying to smile as she got up to leave.

  Madison leaned across Draven and kissed my forehead. “Have fun,” she said, then glanced at Draven. “Good luck.”

  I furrowed my eyebrows at her as she walked away. Draven nodded and pulled me closer to him.

  “Looks like a quiet ride back,” Aden said, relaxing into his seat.

  “Are you ready?” Draven asked me.

  I nodded.

  He reached in his pocket and handed Aden a twenty. “Will you get this? Then maybe see if you can say hi to Wesley – tell him we have a change in plans – I’m sure Austin’s close.”

  Aden nodded and waved his hand for us to go.

  “See you around,” I said, sliding out.

  “I hope,” Aden said, looking seriously at Draven.

  As we stood to leave, it seemed like everyone turned to watch us. Draven looped his fingers through mine and pulled me close to him. We’d almost reached the door before I noticed the young man, Wesley, smiling at us. Draven nodded once in his direction and grinned proudly. Wesley looked at me, then to Draven, then smiled and nodded. I thought for a second that Draven would pull me over there, but instead he opened the door for us to leave.

  I pulled my fingers loose and fumbled for my keys in my bag. I finally found them when I reached the car.

  “You can stay. I mean, if you wanna go and talk to your friend – I’ll be fine. I do have a GPS,” I said, trying to make sure he really wanted to be with me and wasn’t just being nice.

  He smiled shyly and shook his head no, then opened the passenger door.

  I bit my bottom lip and took a deep breath. My mind was racing. I wanted to like him. I wanted to think that he liked me, but I couldn’t.

  As I climbed in, I saw him texting on my phone.

  “What are you doing?” I asked nervously.

  “Thanking Madison for the both of us,” he answered, smiling slightly.

  “Shy, huh?” I said, shaking my head as I turned out on the main road.

  “Not when it comes to you,” he said quietly.

  I looked to my side at him to judge his expression, but I just found him curiously studying my every feature. I looked back to the road and turned the radio up slightly before gripping the steering wheel.

  “So where’s your friend Austin anyway?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

  “Home, I think; maybe traveling,” he said, trying not to smile.

  “Home is the UK?” I asked.

  He shook his head no. “We met him here almost three years ago. We were writing one night, and…and well, he kinda just showed up.”

  “Just showed up?” I asked, glancing at him, not understanding.

  “We were ‘writing’ really loud – lots of energy,” Draven said, squinting his eyes.

  “So was he mad – telling you to stop?” I asked, thinking he was older just by the way he talked about him.

  “No, not all. He’s one of our biggest fans, I’m sure,” Draven said, looking out the window. He crossed his arms as if he were starting to get uncomfortable.

  “So he just dropped that guy Wesley off here, and he’s gonna come back for him?” I asked, trying to gauge what Draven wasn’t saying.

  Draven looked at me and unfolded his arms, and he seemed to relax as he smiled at me. I couldn’t understand how one question could cause such a drastic change in his demeanor.

  “Yeah, kinda. If Wesley and that girl wanna go home, he’ll help them; if they wanna stay here, he’ll just come back from time to time to visit.”

  “Why would they need his help to get home?”

  Draven’s grin grew. I was starting to think it wasn’t my questions that were so inviting to him; it was the fact that I was talking without him having to force me.

  “It’s a long way, and I hear the weather is really bad between here and there.”

  “Weather?”

  “Vicious storms,” he said, raising his eyebrows and trying to make them seem worse than I’m sure they were.

  “’Heard?’ You’ve never been there?” I asked.

  “Not yet; soon, though.”

  “Have fun,” I said, smiling slightly.

  “Only if you went,” he said innocently.

  I shook my head. “You just met me, and you want me to go...I still don’t know where – obviously far enough away that they don’t understand simple technology – with you?”

  “I met you seventeen years ago,” he said seriously as the anger in his expression came to life again.

  “You don’t remember when I was born,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  “I have a very good memory,” he said under his breath.

  I was going to press him for more information, but he moved the track on my phone and turned up the radio. As the music began playing, he moved his fingers across his knee as if he already knew how to play every chord of the song. I just smiled and relaxed into my seat. I was liking the fact that we didn’t always have to talk…that since I found him, the darkness had kept its distance.

  I pulled into my driveway and circled into the garage. I then grabbed my keys
quickly, knowing that if he leaned close to me again, I’d lose the calm I’d found around him. I climbed out and leaned against my car. I knew if I asked him to come in, there was a good chance Kara was awake, and she’d find a way to embarrass me. I decided just to wait there for Aden to come for him.

  He walked slowly around the car, letting his fingertips run across the body. With each step he took, I had to struggle to remain calm. I was beginning to think it was a bad idea just to stand here, that it made me look like I was waiting for him to say or do something.

  He stepped in front of me, holding a calm expression. “I heard you have one of my guitars,” he said quietly.

  I tried to smile. “My mom said it was your dad’s…do you need it to write with? I have my dad’s if I wanna play.”

  As he stepped closer to me, he gently reached for my left hand – and I could feel pure energy coursing through the warmth of his skin. He looked down at my fingertips and ran his thumb over my soft skin.

  “I don’t want it to hurt you….,” he whispered.

  I assumed he meant that playing the chords would hurt my fingers. I knew that it was always painful for beginners, but with practice callouses would form, and then the pain would go away. I reached for his left hand and moved his fingertips so I could see them; I smiled as I saw the mark of every strong musician.

  “It’s only temporary,” I said, trying not to blush.

  He let his fingers slide through mine, and I couldn’t hold in the sigh that escaped as I felt his warm energy more intensely. He smiled shyly and leaned closer. “I know you can do this alone…,” he said as his eyes fell into mine, “but I want to help, too…if you’ll let me.”

  I couldn’t think of the words to ask him why he said that; all I could think of was seeing him move to that sound that I’d heard in the house – the visions of him that kept invading my thoughts…I wanted to make them real. I wanted to know him.

  “I’d like that,” I said, looking down, too scared to stare into his eyes any longer.

  At that moment, I could see the headlights of his Hummer. Aden stopped beside the house and idled, like he knew Draven wanted a private goodbye.

  “I kept you out late tonight, so…I guess it would be nice to let you sleep in – can I come by around noon?” he asked, tilting his head and trying to catch my eyes.

  I nodded and tried to smile as I daringly looked up at him. He smiled shyly back at me. “Sweet dreams.”

  I shook my head no. “Don’t dream.”

  “Ever?” he asked in a concerned tone.

  “Never,” I said, slyly trying to break the anticipation of the moment.

  He slowly reached his hand for my face and let his thumb gently trace across my cheekbone. “They’ll come back,” he whispered slowly, letting his hand fall. He looked down, then stepped away.

  I stood stunned for a moment; when I looked up, he was almost to the door. He looked over his shoulder and smiled before disappearing into the darkness.