by Sarah Carter
“We’re fine,” Jackson growls. “Go find something else to do.”
“I’m going to be around for a while. You should get used to that fact.”
Sitting up, Kayla blushes since she was lying down next to Jackson on his bed. “Are you on vacation?”
“Sort of,” Damien replies with a smile. “Taking a year off between semesters, a needed break.”
“Oh…are you in college?” Kayla asks.
“Mmhmm,” Damien answers.
Not sure what to say, Kayla declares, “You don’t look that old, no offense.”
“I’m not. I’m seventeen,” Damien replies, casually walking into Jackson’s room.
“How are you in college at seventeen?” Kayla gasps.
Damien smirks and says, “I graduated two years ago.”
“Are you a genius or something?” Kayla chirps in awe.
“No,” Jackson interjects. “He just thinks he is.”
Kayla looks at Jackson and then back at Damien. “This is incredible! I’m jealous. What college do you go to?”
“Yale,” Jackson groans.
“No freaking way!” Kayla exclaims, scooting closer to the edge of the bed. “Why are you taking time off? What’s your major? Hell, what’s your minor? What is Yale like?”
Laughing, Damien replies, “I have some family business to take care of and was able to pull a few strings. When your family makes sizable donations, the school officials are a bit more understanding. I’m double majoring in biochemistry and biology. I plan to go to med school and become a doctor. Yale is as awesome as you’d expect it to be.”
“You are now…my idol,” Kayla states seriously. “I feel stupid next to you. I thought I had to worry about Jackson.”
“Thanks,” Jackson mumbles. “It’s not like I’m not going to try and get into an Ivy League university.”
Kayla scoots over and wraps her arms around him. “You are still my competition, and when I win the bet, you will be my slave.”
“Whoa.” Jackson chuckles. “Who said I was going to be your slave?”
“That’s my favor,” Kayla whispers happily.
Jackson rolls his eyes. “Oh, dear Lord, save me. What would you have me do?”
“I don’t know yet,” Kayla says, narrowing her eyes. “It will be epic, though.”
“And when I win,” Jackson retorts, “I will make it as embarrassing and as dirty as possible.”
Kayla sits back and glares at him. “You better mean dirty like rolling-around-in-the-mud dirty.”
“Oh, I like that idea,” Jackson quips with an evil smile. “Rolling around in the mud in a bikini.”
Kayla groans and shoves Jackson. She looks at Damien and catches him watching them carefully. He smiles at her and asks, “May I ask what the bet is?”
“Jackson, or Oh Smug One as I like to think of him, said he could write a better essay than me, so we made a bet. Whoever gets a higher score on their paper is the winner. The loser—Jackson—will owe me—the winner—a favor. A no-questions-asked favor. So, as you see, it’s a very serious bet,” Kayla replies.
“Interesting. I do have to say, that sounds like the kind of bet I want to place.”
Instantly blushing, Kayla doesn’t say anything. Jackson exhales loudly and looks at his cousin. “Didn’t you have something better to do, like weave bandages for injured puppies? We have a project to finish.”
“I don’t know,” Damien says. His gaze turns to Kayla. “Do you want me to stay or leave?”
“Me?” Kayla squeaks. Damien nods. She sucks in her breath, not knowing what to say. Turning, she looks at Jackson. “He could really help us. Two incredible minds are one thing, but three incredible minds, we could get a Pulitzer.”
She watches Jackson close his eyes and sigh. “Whatever.”
“Most excellent,” Damien states, taking a chair and sitting down. “So what is this project?”
“It’s a short story,” Kayla answers. “There are no guidelines, so we’re free to use our imagination.”
Damien smiles. “What do you have so far?”
“That’s kind of embarrassing,” Kayla mumbles.
“Why?” Damien asks.
Jackson pats her on the leg. “It’s not embarrassing. We are basing our story off dreams Kayla had when she was little.” He gives his cousin a serious look. “It’s about another world.”
“Like planet?” Damien inquires slowly.
“Well, yeah, I guess,” Kayla says. “I never saw people on it, just landscapes. Like I would walk through the world, touching the plants and such. I was a kid, obviously, I don’t remember everything.”
Damien chuckles. “Your story has to be about an alien race, but what makes them special?”
“What do you mean?” Kayla asks.
Waving his hand, Damien explains, “Short stories usually need a plot, and alien races have some special trait or ability that would help shape your story.”
“I have no idea.” Kayla sighs. Suddenly, a pain shoots through her side and she cries out, sliding off the bed and onto the floor.
“Kayla!” Jackson yells, squatting down beside her. “What’s wrong?”
She grimaces and starts to tear up. “I don’t know. I have a pain in my side. It hurts.”
“Just let it happen,” Damien murmurs to Jackson.
“Damien, shut up,” Jackson snaps. “Go find Mom and get some Kiej for her.”
Kayla rolls onto her other side and whimpers. “I need to go to the hospital.”
“That is the last thing you need to do,” Damien replies. “I’m going to get you something to eat.” Kayla senses him run off.
Jackson gently strokes her hair. “You’re all right. The pain will disappear in a few minutes.”
“I really think I need to go to the hospital,” Kayla moans. “Maybe it’s my appendix.”
“No,” Jackson murmurs. “It’s a cramp. Trust me, it happens to us all. You just need to chew on some Kiej.”
Glaring at him, Kayla snaps, “I don’t think that’s going to help. I need a doctor! It hurts.”
“Will you at least try it?” Jackson asks. Kayla closes her eyes and nods. A minute later, Damien runs back into the room. Jackson tells Kayla, “Open your mouth.” She does and he places two leaves on her tongue. “Okay, chew those.”
She complies, and a few seconds later the pain subsides. Kayla rolls onto her back and exhales. “What in the world was that?”
“It was only a muscle cramp,” Jackson replies. “It will pass.”
“Oh, that sucked.” Kayla groans as she sits up. “Wow, that has never happened before.”
Damien squats down next to her. “You need to keep some Kiej on you from now on, in case it happens again, but whatever you do, don’t let anyone else get ahold of it.”
Looking at him, Kayla says, “You know what that is too?”
He nods. “Yeah, just keep it on you.”
“I’ll make you some of those brownies, and you can keep them in your backpack,” Jackson murmurs. “All right?”
“Yeah.” Kayla sighs. “I want to get up now.” Jackson takes one hand and Damien takes the other. They lift Kayla up so quickly and with such force that she is lifted off of her feet. “Wow, guys, strong much?” Jackson and Damien give each other looks. Kayla shakes her head. “Now I’m embarrassed.”
Jackson snorts. “You need to stop being so embarrassed. It was a muscle cramp.”
“I know, but I was all helpless and ridiculous.”
“True, but you had two guys here to protect you,” Damien notes. “Most girls would like that.”
Kayla laughs and looks at Jackson. “Tracy would be all about you two.”
“That she would,” Jackson says with a laugh. “We need to make it much more dramatic when we tell her, though. Like you swooned into my arms and then—”
Interjecting, Kayla says, “Remember, if I swooned, you were going to let me fall on the floor.”
“That’s ho
rrible,” Damien snaps.
“I wouldn’t actually let her fall,” Jackson groans. Looking back at Kayla, he says, “Well, maybe.”
She punches him in the arm. “See, Damien, this is what I have to put up with.”
“A true gentleman would catch you and then do all he could to revive you,” Damien says. “You should never fall on the floor.”
“Awww,” Kayla draws out. She turns to Jackson. “See, that is the kind of guy a girl could fall for.”
Jackson's eyes nearly roll into the back of his head as he moans, “Blah, blah, blah.”
“I don’t think we should tell Tracy. She would just worry.” Kayla sighs. “Not that you can bite your tongue around her anyway. Keep your trap shut at breakfast tomorrow morning.”
“Am I waking you up again?” Jackson asks with a grin.
Kayla sticks her finger out at him. “If you call me any earlier than six, I won’t even answer!”
“Breakfast in the morning, that sounds excellent,” Damien says, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
“Who said you were invited?” Jackson snaps.
Kayla pushes him. “Stop being so rude. He’s more than welcome to come to breakfast. Tracy can drool over him too. With both of you there, she may not even eat.”
“Tracy isn't the one I want drooling over me,” Damien declares. “Nothing against your friend, but there is only one girl I’m interested in.”
Her cheeks instantly light on fire. “I don’t understand you,” Kayla says quietly. “You don’t know me.”
“I will and you will get to know me, and I promise you will like who I am,” Damien states. Kayla looks away. Damien turns his gaze to his cousin. “I’m going to take Kayla to the kitchen to make her something to drink. She should have a smoothie with the Kiej.”
“I can do that,” Jackson says seriously.
Damien flatly looks at him. “No need since I already said I would do it. Give me a chance to get to know Kayla for myself.”
“Damien,” Jackson growls.
“Jackson,” he retorts. “Let Kayla out of your grasp for a few minutes.”
Kayla begins to speak, but Jackson cuts her off. “She will not leave this room without me.”
Floored, Kayla snaps, “No offense, Jackson, but you don’t get to make that call for me.”
“Kayla,” Jackson growls. “Just listen to me.”
She shakes her head. “Do I have something to be worried about with Damien? Is he going to hurt me or cause me bodily harm?”
“No, of course not,” Jackson spits out. “You just need to listen to me.”
With a disgusted look, Kayla retorts just as harshly, “No, excuse you, but no. I’m leaving. You can keep your crappy attitude to yourself.” She grabs her backpack and whirls back to around to face him. “I don’t understand you, Jackson. You’re so protective of me, but the moment I try to be your friend or even tolerate you, you put up a wall and push me away. You continuously leave me puzzled and annoyed! Make up your mind about what you want from me, but for now, just back off.”
“I’m sorry,” he replies quietly. “I just can’t have you get…attached…to me. ”
Kayla turns and stomps out of the room. “Kayla!” she hears from behind her. “Kayla, stop.”
Spinning around, she snaps, “What?” When she sees Damien, she mumbles, “Oh, sorry.”
“Hey, don’t mind him. I think he confuses himself. I know he has his reasons for what he says. I may not understand them, but Jackson does have his reasons, even though they aren’t very good ones. Don’t pay him any attention.”
In a hushed voice, Kayla asks, “What’s his problem with me?”
“I don’t think he has a problem with you. It’s complicated, and it’s not really my place to say anything.” Damien sighs.
“He’s infuriating.”
Damien gives her a kind look. “Jackson and I may rip on each other, but that’s what we do. He’s a good guy, a really good guy. He just has mood swings like PMS. Maybe you should give him some chocolate.”
Kayla bursts out laughing. “That’s horrible, but hilarious because it’s true.”
“Just try and give him a break. He broods; it’s what he does.”
Nodding, Kayla says, “Okay.”
“Do you need a ride home?”
“Yeah, actually I do. My parents won’t get me a car, so Jackson and Tracy are my modes of transportation.”
“I will happily take you wherever you want to go. Whenever and wherever you need to go.”
Kayla giggles. “Thanks. That’s nice of you. But does it still count even if I need to buy tampons for Jackson at three in the morning?”
Laughing, Damien says, “Absolutely.”
“You may regret the offer. I’ll at least wait until the weekend though, because I’m not going to stay up that late on a school night,” Kayla declares with a grin.
“Come on.” Damien chuckles. “Let’s get you home.”
They walk silently out of the house. When they get to his car, Kayla looks at him. “You know this car is ridiculous.”
Damien laughs. “You don’t like it?”
“I didn’t say that, but you could have fed thousands of starving people for a year!”
“Good point. So you aren’t one of those girls who is impressed by fancy things.”
Kayla shakes her head and enunciates, “Nooooo.”
Damien smirks as he unlocks the car. “I like that. Most girls can’t see past the money.”
“If you didn’t drive a half a million dollar car, you may not have that problem,” Kayla quips as she gets in.
With a whimsical smirk, Damien says, “Yeah, but this car is so much fun, and it only cost four hundred thousand dollars.”
“Men,” Kayla groans.
“What do you want to listen to?”
Kayla shrugs. “What’s the most absurd thing you have?”
“Oh, that’s easy,” Damien replies, starting the music.
“Baby Got Back” starts playing, and Kayla nearly dies from laughter. She bends over, grabbing her stomach. “What…why would you even have this!”
“Because the nineties were hilarious and awesome. How could you be upset listening to this?”
“You just earned a whole lot of cool points,” Kayla says. She starts singing along with the music, knowing all the words and staying on key with the artist. Damien raises his eyebrows and laughs, while Kayla continues rapping with the song.
Damien keeps smiling and starts the car. “You just won a million cool points in my book too,” he states, backing the car out of the driveway.
When the song ends, Kayla leans over to the touchscreen of his stereo “What else do you have?”
“Flip through it.”
She sifts through his music and finally exclaims, “Oh! Oh! This is it!” She hits the song and then waits. When it starts playing, she starts dancing to “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” by Will Smith.
Laughing, Damien adds, “Another million cool points.”
“Don’t you dance?” Kayla asks with excitement.
“Yeah, of course, freakishly well, but not when I’m driving a car that’s worth more than most houses.”
“Touché,” Kayla retorts. Damien smiles back at her. “What, no witty comment about French?”
He glances at her. “What do you mean?”
“Jackson started talking to me in French when I said touché and then proceeded to pick on me because I don’t speak a foreign language.”
“Why don’t you speak anything besides English?” Damien asks, his tone free of mocking.
Frowning, Kayla answers, “I’m horrible at it. Jackson says he’s going to teach me Russian. Do you speak any foreign languages?”
“Yes, Italian, Spanish and…well…a language of someplace you wouldn’t even know about,” Damien replies. “Jackson does supersede me there. He is the linguist of the family.”
“He has lived everywhere. I think that’s awesome
. Where have you lived?”
Damien smirks and says, “Well, we own homes throughout the U.S., and then we have homes in England, Rome, Tokyo, and Barcelona.”
“What? We need to go on vacation! I’ll rob a bank, and then we can go on spring break.”
“If you want to go on vacation, you don’t need to rob a bank. We own several private jets.”
Kayla’s eyes bulge in surprise. “That’s unbelievable. What does your family do? I know Jackson’s parents are scientists.”
“Both my parents are surgeons, but we have family money and a long family history.”
“I see. My parents are botanists, not very exciting, and my grandparents…well, I actually don’t know what they did.”
With an amused look, Damien says, “I bet it was something spectacular.”
“I guess.”
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Shrugging, Kayla sighs. “I don’t know yet. I figure I have a little more time to think about it.”
“Whatever it is, you’ll rock at it.”
That makes Kayla smile. She carefully looks at Damien and has to admit that he is hot and…nice. She looks out the window and then furrows her eyebrows. “How do you know how to get to my house?”
“I visited your family this morning. You were already at school.”
“You know my parents?”
Damien nods. “Yes. I was going to introduce myself to you, but your parents said you left before they even got up.”
“Jackson practically dragged me out of bed.” Kayla laughs. “He wanted breakfast.”
“Well then, I get to drag you out of bed sometime soon and take you out for breakfast, and then we can spend the day together,” Damien says as he stops at a light. “Unless you want breakfast in bed.”
Kayla’s jaw drops, and then she wants to die, because she never realized the song playing was “I Want to Sex You Up.” Her cheeks burn with humility.
“You do embarrass easily.” Damien laughs. “So no breakfast in bed?”
“No! What is it with you and Jackson? Do I have slut tattooed on my forehead? If you’re looking for a one-night stand, you should pursue someone else.”
Chuckling, Damien reaches over and changes the song. “Relax, I was only kidding…or was I?”
