by Kyra Dune
“No. Can we drop this, please? It’s not a big deal.”
“You’re upset, so yeah, it is a big deal. And I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what it is.” I crossed my arms. “Seriously. I’ll sit here until we’re old enough to have grandkids if I have to.”
Curtis snorted. It wasn’t a laugh, but I would take what I could get. “You’re really annoying, did anybody ever tell you that?”
“Once or twice. Now talk.”
Several silent seconds passed and I let them.
“It...it’s about Kyle,” he muttered.
“What?” Not because I didn’t hear him but because I didn’t understand.
Curtis hit the bed and then sat up so fast I almost toppled to the floor. “I said it’s about Kyle.”
I caught the bedpost to steady myself. “What about Kyle?” I’m not stupid, I swear. But sometimes I can be a little slow on the uptake.
He rolled his eyes. “I like Kyle. There. Are you happy now?”
And it still took me minute. “What do you mean you... Oh. You like Kyle.” I took about half a second to process the information, then swatted his arm. “How have you never told me? I thought we were tight.”
He curled his fingers into the sheets. “I didn’t even know myself. Not always. I kind of figured it out not too long before my parents... died. And after they were gone, it didn’t seem like anything important to talk about.”
“You’re wrong. It is important,” I said. “Anything you ever feel like you need to talk about with somebody, is important. At least it is to me. Did you think I would freak out? Is that why you didn’t tell me?”
“No. I just... I didn’t want to deal with it on top of everything else.”
I nodded. “I get it. You’ve had a rough year. But... well, I mean... Kyle? Did you have to go and get a crush on my best friend’s boyfriend?”
“Hey, he wouldn’t be my first pick, trust me. It’s not like I can control it.” He met my gaze. “You won’t tell anybody, will you?”
“Of course not. It’s your secret to keep or share, not mine. But you know nobody here has a problem with Hannah. Not even Kyle.”
“Yeah, ‘cause she’s a girl. Kyle probably things it’s hot she’s bi. Trust me, he wouldn’t be so cool around me. Especially if he knew I had a crush on him. He would freak out. And probably beat me to a bloody pulp to boot.”
“Not a chance,” I said. “Me big scary dragon, remember? Nobody messes with my cousin.”
Finally, a smile. “Thanks.”
“No problem. You know you can always count on me.” I stood. “Are you going to come back downstairs?”
“I think I’ll hang out up here and read.”
“Okay. See you in the morning.”
When I got back downstairs, nobody was still at the table. Trudy and Steve were doing the dishes, Hannah was leaning against the bar, and Zack was looking at the sliding glass door.
“How is he doing?” Trudy asked.
“He’ll be okay.” I dropped onto the stool beside Hannah. “Where did Brandy and Kyle go?” I didn’t wonder about Derek. I figured he’d gone to his room after dinner like he usually did. It had to be kind of irritating for him being the only adult in a house full of teenagers.
“They’ve retired to the den, as Brandy put it,” Hannah said around a mouthful of Oreos. She didn’t even bother to cover up with her hand so I got to see way more than I wanted to. “At first, we could hear a lot of yelling, then it got quite.” She reached for another cookie. “I’d guess they’re ‘making up’,” she made air quotes around the words. “If you get what I mean.”
Trudy blushed and I wrinkled my nose. “All righty then. Anybody have a good idea of what we can do tonight?”
“Do you feel up to another training session?” Zack asked. “It’ll be cooler out and the full moon could give you a power boost. At least it works for water dragons.”
“Yeah, Abby, you should definitely go out on the moonlit beach with Zack.” Hannah wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
I shot her a murderous look. “More training sounds good to me.”
“Oh, a moonlit walk on the beach,” Trudy said. “How roman--”
“Hey, look at this.” Steve lifted his suds covered hand. “A soapy mitten.” He dabbed some suds on the tip of Trudy’s nose, thus saving me from further humiliation.
Zack and I walked down to the water without saying a word. Was it romantic, you ask? Not really. I was kind of nervous and he seemed tense. I hoped I could do better tonight than I had earlier.
We kicked off our shoes and waded into the ocean. I sucked in my breath at the sharp sting of the water. It was cold, but it actually made me feel more focused. Zack keeping his shirt on helped too.
“The moon pulls on the ocean,” Zack said, facing me from a few feet away. “It does the same thing to a water dragon’s power. Close your eyes and tell me what you feel.”
Zack closed his eyes first and I didn’t want to follow suit because I was enjoying looking at his face trimmed in moonlight way too much. Oh yeah, I had it bad. Anyway, I did close my eyes and tried to focus on what he’d said about feeling the moon. I swear I did. My rebellious mind wanted to skip off in other, highly inappropriate, directions, but I was keeping it firmly reined in.
After several seconds of feeling nothing, I opened my eyes to find Zack watching me expectantly. I hated to disappoint him, but I wasn’t going to lie. “Sorry. I don’t feel anything. Maybe it’s different for me, being a hybrid.”
“Or maybe,” he walked toward me through the surf, “you’re trying too hard like you always do.”
He stopped only inches away; so close I could smell the faint traces of his cologne. So close we were almost touching. So close I was sure he must hear the pounding of my heart.
“It’s hard not to try too hard.” At least, I think that’s what I said. My brain was a little hazy.
“For you it is,” Zack said. “You were raised like a human and you’ve never been properly trained to let your power come to you naturally. And the thing is, I don’t know how to train you the right way. I only know how to train you my way.”
Zack slipped his hand under my shirt and pressed his palm against my stomach. I gasped, as much from the shock of his touch as from the cold radiating off his skin. It wasn’t an attack. I knew, because I’d felt his attack twice before. This was something different. It was like the entire world disappeared around us. Until it was only him and me and nothing else.
I couldn’t think of anything except how he was looking into my eyes the way I imagine a boy would look at a girl he wanted to kiss. I didn’t know for sure, since I had never been kissed, but I couldn’t believe the heat between us was nothing more than my imagination.
Zack broke contact and before I could even ask him what was going on, a wall of water crashed down on top of our heads. We went sprawling in opposite directions. Lying flat of my back in the sand, I stared up at the night sky and took a minute to gather my breath before trying to sit up.
Across from me, Zack was already getting to his feet. He was soaked like I was but didn’t seem any worse off.
“Did I do that?” I asked. I found the idea exciting, but also kind of scary.
“Yeah.” Zack brushed sand from his arms.
That was it? Yeah? I made a freaking wave and the only thing he could say was ‘yeah’? I struggled to pull myself up, trying really hard not to be angry. It wasn’t easy. I felt as if I’d earned some kind of praise for what I’d done and I was getting nothing.
Using both hands, I wrung out my hair, trying to look at him without it being obvious that’s what I was doing. “Wow. That was amazing. I mean I wasn’t even trying to make a wave. It must have been a reaction to whatever you did, right? Like when you attacked me by the pool and I knocked you on your butt.” My lame attempt at injecting some humor into the situation. It didn’t work. Zack kept looking at me with this pinched expression on his face.
“Wha
t?” I threw my hands up in frustration. “I did exactly what you wanted, right? I didn’t think. I didn’t try. I reacted. I let it come naturally. I didn’t even know what I was doing.”
“Right,” Zack said. “You didn’t know what you were doing.” He slowly shook his head. “I didn’t realize.”
“Didn’t realize what?” I asked, starting to feel a little less angry and lot more scared. “Don’t start with the cryptic. Spit it out.”
“I thought you hit me on purpose by the pool,” he said. “I thought you knew what you were doing even though you weren’t concentrating on it. But you didn’t. Like tonight with the wave. You didn’t see it all, did you? If I hadn’t pulled away, how big would it have gotten? You could have killed us.”
I blinked. “I... I can’t help it. You did something to me.”
“All I did was tap your power,” he said. “Standard practice in battle training. I shifted your focus, but it shouldn’t have caused you to lose your awareness of what you were doing. You can’t use your powers like that. You have to maintain control.”
“I don’t know how.” I was shouting at him and I didn’t mean to be, but I couldn’t help it. His words scared me.
“Well you better learn,” he snapped. “Because without control, you’re twice as dangerous as Megara could ever be.”
I turned away so he couldn’t see the tears in my eyes. “I’m cold. I’m going back in the house.” I wrapped my arms around myself and marched across the beach. His words stung. Not only because they came from him, but because I knew they could be true. Was this why other dragons were afraid of me? Was this why hybrids were killed at birth? Were they right? Was I dangerous? I didn’t want to believe it could be true, but it was hard not to.
CHAPTER THREE
I leaned back in the lounge chair under a red and white striped umbrella, trying to enjoy the feel of the wind on my skin. I wasn’t having any luck. It was a beautiful, mild day and I was on a private beach, and still I was miserable. And not because of my little fight with Zack. Or at least, not only because of it.
My friends would have to go home soon. They knew it and so did I. Their parents weren’t going to let them hang out at the beach house mourning my imaginary death forever. And a feeling in my gut told me this time goodbye would be permanent.
A loud whoop broke through my thoughts as Kyle came sliding up on the beach on the back of his surfboard. For a guy who’d never even seen the ocean before he had sure taken to surfing like he was born for it. I guess that’s a natural athlete for you.
Kyle hefted his board and sauntered toward me. “This place is awesome. I could stay here forever.”
“I’m surprised you’ve never come down with Brandy’s family before,” I said.
He shrugged, flicking wet strands of dark brown hair back from his face. “Her parents don’t like me much. I guess they don’t think a jock is good enough for their genius daughter.” He dropped his board and flopped down in the sand. “I figure they only let me come this time because of you being... you know, dead and all.”
I winced. As if I needed to be reminded they were all being forced to lie to their families on my account. “I’m so sorry I dragged you guys into my mess.”
“Are you kidding? Skipping school to hang out on a beach all day rocks.” He laid down and folded his hands behind his head. “Man, if this is what Heaven looks like, sign me up.”
“If such a thing as Heaven existed,” Brandy said from behind us, “I seriously doubt it would appear as an empty stretch of California beach.”
I twisted in my seat to see Brandy, looking gorgeous as ever in a black string bikini and silver framed sunglasses with a wicker tote bag slung over one shoulder. Kyle grinned up at her. “Now there’s a view.”
She tipped her sunglasses down to look at him over the rim. “You are such a caveman.”
“Uga, uga.” Kyle grabbed her ankle. “Me see woman. Want woman.”
“You pull me down into the sand and you’ll be an extinct caveman,” Brandy snapped, jerking her leg away from him.
“Better watch it buddy, boy,” Steve said as he and Trudy walked up. “Your girlfriend is kind of a viper.”
“Oh yeah?” Kyle asked. “Then what does that make your girlfriend?”
Steve gazed thoughtfully at Trudy as if seriously considering the question. “A bunny rabbit. Most definitely. I mean, look at her adorable little nose.” He kissed her nose, sending Trudy into a giggling fit.
Brandy rolled her eyes. I know she found them irritating, but I thought they were super cute together. Don’t you agree? They had the kind of relationship any girl would want to have with her boyfriend. Or at least, it was the kind of relationship I wanted, but somehow I couldn’t see Zack ever calling me a bunny rabbit and kissing me on the nose. I figured I’d be lucky if he ever kissed me at all.
Brandy dropped into the seat next to mine and pulled a thick scientific journal out of her tote bag. By this time Derek, Hannah and Curtis had joined us, so I stood up to offer Derek my seat. I could see he was going to protest, so I held up a hand to stop him.
“You’re still not well,” I said. “So don’t argue.”
He reluctantly eased himself into the chair. “I feel much better.”
“Good,” I said. “Let’s keep it that way.” Okay, so maybe I was being slightly overprotective, but I was responsible for putting him in the condition he was in and I was bound and determined to help him get back to his old self no matter what.
“It’s so gorgeous, isn’t it?” Trudy gazed out at the ocean.
“Gorgeous is exactly the word I’d use,” Steve said, his eyes only for her.
She blushed. “I’d hardly say I was gorgeous.”
“That, my little freckled goddess, is purely a matter of opinion.” He kissed her shoulder. “And since you’re my girl, the only opinion which matters is mine.”
“Oh my god.” Hannah draped herself across the back of Derek’s chair. “You two are giving me a serious sugar overload. Why don’t you go frolicking down the beach or something and give the rest of us a break already.”
“Hey,” Steve affected an air injured dignity. “It’s cruel to mock a man so helplessly in love as I am. It’s like throwing rocks at a puppy. Or stealing candy from a baby. Or--”
Trudy gave him a playful shove. “Go surf already.”
“Yes, my Lady.” Steve offered her a sweeping bow, at the bottom of which he snatched up Kyle’s surfboard. Holding it over his head, he took off down the beach shouting, “To the victor goes the spoils!”
“Son of a--” Kyle scrambled to his feet. “Come back here with my board, you freak.” He chased after Steve.
Hannah shook her head. “That is one weird dude.”
“Yeah, he is.” Trudy smiled fondly at the retreating figures. “And he’s all mine.”
Brandy snorted. Hannah stood up straight and I could tell by the look on her face she was fixing to start something. “What’s the matter, brainiac? Are we interrupting your light summer read? It sure looks like a real page turner.”
“Actually, it is,” Brandy said without looking at her. “I’d offer to lend it to you but I’m afraid so many large, unfamiliar words would overtax your brain.”
“Come on guys,” Trudy said. “Don’t fight.” But neither Hannah nor Brandy paid her any mind at all.
“At least people can understand me when I talk,” Hannah said. “I’d need a freaking dictionary to have a conversation with you and it’s way too hot to put in the effort.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t be so hot,” Brandy turned the page, “if you didn’t come to the beach dressed like a vampire.”
Hannah grasped the back of Derek’s chair. “So I should dress more like you?” She laughed. “Hookers on a street corner wear more clothes than you do.”
Trudy gasped and poor Curtis looked liked he wanted to sink into the earth and disappear.
Brandy’s face turned a shade of red I’d never seen before. She s
lapped her book down on her chair and half rose from her seat. “What did you say to me?”
“You heard me.” Hannah started around the side of Derek’s chair. “You want to make something of it?”
“Hey, hey, hey,” I said. “Stop it. Right now.” I looked at both of them, shocked to see they were actually within an inch of coming to blows. Hannah wanting to fight didn’t surprise me so much, but Brandy? My best friend could be kind of snappy sometimes, but I’d never seen her lose her cool so bad before.
“Brandy, Hannah, you guys need to cool it. Please,” I said. “I’m ringing the bell, go to your separate corners.”
Brandy gave me a dirty look. “I’m going for a swim.” She spun on her heel and stalked away.
“How is she your best friend?” Hannah asked.
I sighed. “Curtis, why don’t you take Trudy and go see the tidal pool.” I figured it would be better to talk to Hannah in private. Derek had fallen asleep at some point, so I didn’t have to send him anywhere.
“Sure. Come on, Trudy.” Curtis led her away and she seemed only too happy to go. Not that I could blame her. I wished I could leave too because I did not enjoy playing referee or peacekeeper.
I turned to Hannah. “Why do you always have to go after her?”
“Me?” Hannah pressed a hand to her chest. “I didn’t start it.”
“Yeah, you did,” I said. “You’re the one who called her a braniac. She didn’t say a word to you until then.”
“Well... She made a noise.” Hannah planted her hands on her hips. “A rude noise.”
“Not toward you,” I said. “How is Brandy making a noise toward Steve and Trudy any worse than your melodramatic act?”
“Melodramatic?” Hannah scoffed. “Have you been reading over Brandy’s shoulder?”
“So, you want to start a fight with me, now?”
Hannah opened her mouth only to clamp it shut again. She made a face. “No. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I started it. This time. Sort of. But it doesn’t change the fact that your friend can be a real bit--”
“Don’t you dare.” I held up a hand in warning. “Brandy may be a little uptight, but nobody, and I mean nobody, calls my best friend a nasty name in front me. So don’t go there. Not if you want to be my friend too. Besides, you went way over the line already, saying what you said about... you know.”
