by K. K. Allen
“That is great. Thank you so much, Johnny.”
Johnny flashes a smile that knocks the wind out of me. I stare at his bright white teeth, perfect lips, and piercing blue eyes. He is gorgeous when he smiles.
I peel my eyes from Johnny to watch Mr. and Mrs. Waters walk around the tent to check on decorations and fiddle with things, ever so slightly. Chairs move, fabric is re-draped, all behind Trisha’s back. I try not to laugh. I’m sure Trisha’s parents have perfected using magic around their daughter.
“My parents are acting so weird,” Trisha whispers to me. I know Mrs. Waters can hear us if she chooses to so I am careful with my words.
“How so?”
Trisha shrugs. “They’ve been babying me a lot lately. A lot. They’re so freaked about that death on Summer Island. It’s like they think I’m next or something.”
“Don’t say that,” I gasp. It was bad enough losing a fellow Enchanter but losing a friend would be unbearable.
She shakes her head. “Well, that’s how it’s been. They said they need to talk to me about something important in the morning. I’m nervous. What in the world could be so secretive?”
Of course Trisha’s parents are acting overprotective of her right now. It was the same caution that Rose had with me. Because we are unaware of our powers before our Enchantment, we can’t control what’s happening to us. The Equinox going around murdering people doesn’t help either.
“So,” Trisha’s voice changes and I look at her. Her face is apologetic and I think I know what she’s about to tell me. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Alec and Ava to come tonight. They came into the Grille during my shift yesterday and I felt bad that I hadn’t invited them yet.”
The sound of Alec and Ava’s names together in the same sentence is like someone sharpening a pencil in my stomach. I haven’t had much time to think about Alec’s betrayal, but it still hurts. I really thought Alec and I were going to be something—special. We were something special, even if it was just for a short period of time.
“It’s okay Trisha. They’re friends of yours, of course you should invite them.” And I mean this. Just because I wasn’t the chosen one doesn’t mean Trisha should let that affect her friendship with them.
She smiles at me and pulls me in for a hug. “You are such a good person, Kat. I’m so happy you moved here. It’s nice having someone to talk to.”
I smile back, feeling the same warm fuzzies about Trisha that I had when I first met her. After tomorrow Trisha and I will have much more in common and we’ll be able to talk about the one thing that I can’t really talk to anyone about.
“So how has Johnny been with you today? Death glares? Biting remarks?”
I smile and shrug. “He hasn’t asked me what my favorite color is yet but he’s been okay today. At least we can work together. We just don’t speak.” I find this amusing and can’t help but giggle.
Trisha gasps and my face goes red. Immediately, I know what she’s thinking. “Do you like him?” Her question buries me in a wave of my own heat.
Where did that come from?
“I mean, he’s hot,” she smiles and widens her eyes at me, as if expecting me to have the same reaction. When she realizes I’m not giving in, she continues. “But it doesn’t seem like he’s interested in dating anyone. Then again, I don’t know…” she taps her chin and pouts her lips. “Complicated Johnny and mysterious Kat. That might just work out.”
I slap her in the arm lightly and laugh. “I’m not mysterious.”
She shrugs. “Well yeah you are. You just moved here, so no one knows you very well. You’re practically next in line for the throne, and you’ve won the attention of the most popular boy in school—well, never mind that last part, but we don’t even know where you came from.”
“Really? We talked about where I came from remember? Spring Lake, North Carolina.” And as much as I want to dispute the throne comment I stop myself.
Trisha giggles, which helps dissolve my discomfort. She’s only kidding. Somewhat. Obviously those things were in her head or she wouldn’t have said them.
“I know where you came from, but I know nothing about how your life was back there, with your mom. Or about your friends. Activities you enjoy. These are things you talk about with your friends. The only thing I know about you really is that you’re Rose’s granddaughter, gorgeous, and you know how to take on Ava and Iris when they are being their devilish-selves. Oh—and I know you’re mysterious.” She giggles again.
I guess I haven’t shared much about my past with anyone here—except for Alec. Again, the thought is a sad one so I brush it aside.
“Well I can tell you whatever you want to know, but I’ll warn you. My life before Apollo Beach wasn’t very exciting. I guess I don’t think there’s much to talk about. I’m not the same person I was back home.” This is very true.
Trisha pokes my tummy. “See, that’s interesting!”
A warmth spreads in my chest and I smile at her. “Well let’s concentrate on throwing you the best sweet sixteen party ever and then I’ll spill my life story to you.” I wink at her but something about her expression halts my cheer. “What?” I ask her.
A pink color fills her cheeks and I gasp. She looks around desperately, checking to see if anyone is within hearing distance. “Matt kissed me.” She says the words so carefully and at first I can’t tell how she feels about this, but then a grin spreads from ear-to-ear.
“No!” I’m grinning now. I knew Matt liked her. He didn’t exactly hide it, but I couldn’t tell if Trisha felt the same way. She flirts with him but one could think that Trisha flirts with everyone she speaks to because of her bubbly personality. Well, good for Matt. They will make a great couple. Except—she’ll need to keep her Enchantment secret from him. Maybe she will have a better time handling that than me.
“It was just yesterday,” she’s still whispering but her tone is filled with excitement. “We were just messing around at his house, in the pool, and he kissed me.”
Her excitement makes me both happy and sad. As far out of my mind as I’ve put Alec, it still seems like everything reminds me of him, and I’m anything but over him. I had such high hopes, but then again, I knew how popular Alec was. He was never mine to begin with.
“We’re all set. Ready?” Johnny approaches me from behind and I tense. Why does he make me feel like scrambled eggs every time I’m with him.
I turn back to Trisha and take her hand. “Tonight will be so much fun. I’ll see you—okay?”
Trisha grins and walks to where her mom and dad are admiring the photo backdrops of flower varieties in the large vases, shaped like cement columns.
Johnny’s eyes are on me—I can feel them. Why don’t I know how to handle myself around him? It’s as though he’s always overpowering me. Perhaps because he’s so unpredictable. One second he’s fine with me and the next he’s jumping all over me for something ridiculous—like folding napkins.
He starts the van but something down the beach catches my eye. A dark gray object at the shore of the beach. Water rushes over it and then fades back into the bay.
I sharpen my eyes and gasp when I realize what I’m seeing. “Johnny. Look.” He follows my stare and he must see what I see.
He’s quick to act—unbuckling his seat belt and throwing open the van door. “It’s a manatee.” There’s a creek as the door slams backwards and for a second I wonder if the door will unhinge from the force.
Johnny is halfway down the beach by the time I exit the van. Half of me is scared to see the washed up mammal up close, for fear that it’s dead. The other half is surprised to see Johnny react so strongly. My legs run fast but I let Johnny run faster. As we approach the manatee, my movements slow, letting Johnny approach the scene first. Something clutches my gut as I see it laying there. I can’t tell what’s wrong but the opening and closing of his beady eyes reveal pain. One of his flippers moves at Johnny’s touch, almost like he’s trying to hold his hand.<
br />
Johnny moves to his knees, alarm on his face. His hands softly brush the mammal as his voice barely reaches a whisper. “Hang in there buddy.” Johnny reaches for his phone, pushes a few buttons and lifts the phone to his ear. “Reg, get the boat and come to Apollo Beach. We’re South of the Island. One’s been hit and he’s in pretty bad shape. Must be a broken rib and hip—or something.”
How in the world does Johnny know what’s wrong with this manatee? How does he know anything about manatees?
“No, this one is a baby, probably around eighty pounds.” He hangs up.
I kneel down, slowly, beside Johnny, near the head of the creature. I’ve never seen one up close before. His nose is pug-shaped with whiskers, his eyes small and round, just like the stuffed animal. I reach my hand out to touch his nose but pull back and look at Johnny. “Is it okay if I touch him?”
“Yeah. You can touch him. He’d like that.”
The manatee’s eyes open as my hand lands on his rough skin. Green splotches of algae cover his back.
Johnny must see me reach for it out of curiosity because he’s answering me before I can even ask. “Fish in the water feed off of him.”
As he continues to examine the young mammal I watch him shake his head in anger by the mammal’s state. “You know. These guys are the most harmless creatures. They just glide through the water, content with their leisurely lifestyle. They are so gentle. Yet boaters act so recklessly and pay no attention to their surroundings.”
I frown sympathetically.
“He’s in a lot of pain,” he finally says as his eyes scan the grayish-brown skin of the manatee in front of us. “He likes your touch.”
“He does?”
“Yeah, just don’t tell anyone you touched him. You can get fined. There are laws around here to protect these guys while they are under endangered status.”
I frown. “I would say this is an exception to the rule.”
Johnny agrees. “I would too.”
There, at least we agree on something.
“What happened to him?” I run my hands over the side of his face, wondering if his injury is something I can heal, and that’s when I see it—a dark brownish black symbol of the infinity serpent, branded into the neck of the poor manatee.
Bile rises to my throat but I press it down with a force. I won’t know how to explain this to Johnny. “You said he was hit?” I sit back on my legs, trying to mask my horror.
“By a boat,” Johnny responds. “There are a lot of careless boaters out there who pay no attention to the speed zones. Manatees congregate near the energy plant during the winter months.” Johnny points to building where the smokestacks stand high above the town. “Even though this isn’t the season for manatees to be in Apollo Beach I can usually spot a few every now and then along the coast. That’s why the coastal boating speeds are strictly enforced all year around, but you’d be surprised by the number of manatees still killed yearly. It’s in the hundreds.”
Our wait seems like eternity. When the rescue team finally arrives and maneuvers the injured mammal onto a boat’s gurney I’m relieved.
As we watch them speed off I look at Johnny whose face is filled with an odd mix of anger and concern.
“You ready to go?” I ask, hoping to break him from his spell.
He nods and we return to the van in silence.
* * *
Back at the Island Grille break room I clock out of my shift and turn to see Johnny removing his damp t-shirt. I take this as an invitation to stare.
My eyes glide over his body until they catch the scar. It’s long, mean, and runs diagonally across his back and side. It was painful once.
His eyes catch mine and I forget to breathe for a second. He pulls a new shirt on quickly and turns away from my gaze. Mortified, I rip my eyes away and focus on a spot in the corner of the room.
“Can you help me with one last thing?” His question is a get out of jail free card so I take it with a nod.
I don’t think I’m able to form a proper sentence quite yet but my feet manage to carry me to the couch where he’s flipping through some sheets of paper. I take a seat next to him, making sure there’s a sufficient amount of space between us.
“I have some menu options for the food stands we’re setting up at the carnival. Can you go over them with me? Usually Roy does it but he’s been pretty tied up lately.”
As he examines the first one he slides in closer to show me the lineup of food for booth one.
I’m not processing anything on the menu actually, but I do a great job of pretending to read thoroughly. My chest pounds too loudly for me to actually think and my entire body feels hot, as if I’ve been placed in the center of a dormant volcano.
“Kat,” his voice is gentle.
I look at him. His eyes questioning me. “Why do you clutch that necklace so much?” He reaches for it. I release my grip and let my hand fall to my lap and freeze as he lifts the stone from my neck. No one has ever touched my amethyst before. What will happen to him?
He twists and turns it, inspecting it closely. “Is it one of those stones that emits energy?”
I’m caught off guard by his pleasant interest. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath but I release it slowly, as to not attract attention.
“It’s a family heirloom passed down to me. It contains energy for healing and calming—well you know—that’s what they say.”
His eyes flicker back up to mine and I’m lost in them. Obviously my amethyst is useless when I’m around Johnny.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?” The way he says this isn’t a question. His eyes are steady on mine, as if challenging me.
I have no words but my mouth is slightly open but I don’t dare speak a word. I shake my head to appease him. He drops my amethyst so it lands on my chest with a light thud.
“You believe in that stuff?” He leans back, putting enough distance between us for me to breathe again.
I shrug. “I believe that natural oils from the earth have positive effects on us, and energy from these stones radiate those effects onto us.” I sound like Rose now. “What do you believe in?”
Johnny looks at me surprised now. “I believe that there’s a lot more going on with you than you let on.”
His answer startles me but I find the courage to stand. I need to get ready for the party.
“Funny,” I respond before turning away, “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”
Without another look, I rush out the back, release my bike from its lock, and pedal off for Summer Estates. I have a party to dress for.
Chapter Twelve
It’s an extravagant beach party. No one wears masks or piles their head high with feathers, but fashion is evident as teens and their parents try to outdo each other in their elaborate gowns.
The dress Charlotte made for me is gorgeous. It’s a cream tank blouse tucked into a shimmery silver thigh length pencil skirt. My hair is pulled up in a loose, messy bun with just a touch of makeup; eye liner dramatizes my eyes, mascara identifies my already long lashes, and blush highlights my small and defined cheekbones.
Looking around jolts me back to the memory of when I arrived at Alec’s Fourth of July party. My confrontation with Ava, the things she called me, the way her and Iris acted, Alec kissing me for the first time…the water balloon, the fire, and then the almost drowning. It seems like such a long time ago, yet the images are as crisp as the remnants of that wild bonfire; still present, but alive no longer.
Charlotte’s hand lands on my shoulder to break me from my thoughts. I recognize her touch without looking; gentle, soft-handed, and always scented with citrus. It’s funny how familiar she’s become in such a short time.
Rose follows behind us as we assess the crowd from a distance.
The buffet catering is set up just inside of the tent, along the back wall. Most of the guests are mingling around the tables and an acoustic band performs above the dance area.
&n
bsp; My heart plummets into my toes as I lay eyes on a couple dancing together. This is the first time I’ve actually seen Alec and Ava together since I spotted them at the marina. I’ve heard the rumors circulating—that they are the latest, greatest couple, and I don’t care to listen or watch any further.
Rose reaches for my hand. “I can sense your tension, dear. What is it?”
I shake my head, not wanting to discuss my troubles now, not when I’m already close to tears. “It’s a lot of things, really, but I’m fine. I want Trisha to have a great time.”
“Well, try to let it go, dear. It’s time to party.” Rose releases my hand and winks at me. With a shimmy of her shoulders she walks away and I’m doubling over with laughter, alongside Charlotte.
We near the party and I spot Johnny almost immediately. He’s wearing a gray short sleeve button down with a black tie, black long shorts, and tennis shoes. A tray of hor d’oeuvres is in the palm of one hand. He smiles and nods at the guests.
Trisha is surrounded by the time I spot her. Matt, Brent, and a few other faces I remember from Alec’s party gather around her. I think I’ve even seen some of them at the Island Grille.
Her eyes lift just as I approach the group and a giant smile reveals her bright white teeth. Her entire light sparkles as it never has before, and every inch of her, from her shoes to the shiny metal adornment at the top of her head is perfection.
I knew Trisha would make an amazing Enchanter. Her birthday may be tomorrow but the effects are already changing her. She looks stunning; happy; glamorous. Still bubbly, but I can’t see that part of Trisha ever going away.
She skips through the center of the crowd, grabs my hand, and pulls me toward the edge of the tent, out of hearing distance from the others.
“Welcome to the club,” I say with a smile.
Trisha’s eyes widen. “The club?”
I give her my close-mouthed smile and squint my eyes. “Club Sixteen.” That’s not really what I mean, but she will know that tomorrow.
