by Donna Flynn
Orin met me at my locker at the end of the day, his easy conversation taking my mind off all of my troubles. I closed my locker and he took my bag, then walked me to the parking lot.
“Do you think I could drive you home?” he asked as we neared the vehicles.
I bit my lip, trying to decide if I wanted to risk my brother’s wrath, and decided that after how he had acted the day before, I would. “I don’t see why not,” I answered with more calm than I felt. “Just let me tell Paul.” I knew that was not going to go well, but in all honesty he would follow me anyway, so there was no real danger.
Paul was waiting for me by the truck, glaring at Orin and I knew I had to act fast before he had time to react. “Paul, Orin is going to drive me home,” I called out.
“Katie.” His voice shook with anger but Beth reached over and quieted him, whispering in his ear, earning an unhappy nod.
Orin helped me into his car, then came around to his side and got in, ignoring my brother revving his truck’s engine next to us, and started the car. Carefully he pulled out of the parking space, then out of the parking lot to the main road that would take us through town. He drove really well, stayed in between the lines, and did not speed. From the side mirror I spotted the truck behind us the entire way home and knew Paul was watching for something to complain about, but I was relieved there would be nothing for him to whine about to my father once we got home. I knew well that if my parents thought for one second I would be harmed in any way by Orin’s driving, they would prevent me from seeing him again despite my father’s talk of me knowing my own mind.
We pulled into the driveway and he parked, ignoring my brother’s loud engine as he pulled into the garage situated behind us. Orin got out and came to my side, helping me from the car.
“So is there anything in particular you want to see Saturday?” I asked, to make conversation as he walked me to the front door.
“I’m looking at it,” he replied with a grin.
I blushed. “Would you like to come in?” I asked nervously at the door.
He looked a little unnerved by my question. He ran his hand through his hair as if frustrated by my question. “Maybe another time, I have a ton of homework I should go.”
“Oh, okay, well, thanks for the ride then.” He leaned in close as if he was going to kiss me, but the front door opened and Paul stuck his head out. I assumed after he had parked in the garage he had run through the house at vampire speed to get there, and hoped Orin didn’t notice it.
Orin frowned and took a step back. “Uh…I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, moving quickly back down the steps towards his car.
“Good riddance,” Paul said as I walked inside. “What was that crap back there, Katie? You know you ride home with me. Don’t ever pull that shit again, or I swear…”
“Paul,” Beth called out, looking as frazzled as I felt about his behavior.
I was glad she stopped him but I’d also had enough. “Do not push me, Paul. I’m not a child anymore and I won’t be ordered about by you.” I walked past him going straight to my room, too angry to even think about being around him any longer.
*****
Saturday night I was in the foyer waiting for Orin to pick me up, feeling extremely nervous about going out with everyone after their reaction to Orin. Jess had made it clear she was unhappy about the entire situation, but after I had cautioned her that she was hurting me with her remarks she had apologized and promised to be nice. Chris was reserving judgment, and Josh… well, I had no idea what he was thinking. He was a man of few words, but he seemed to be watching Orin very closely.
“I hope you have a good time tonight,” my mother said, as if sensing my hesitance.
“I’m sure I will,” I said, uneasy myself now that the time had come to go out with Orin. There was just something weird about the attraction I had for him; it wasn’t anything like I felt for Aidan. With Aidan I felt it all the time even when we weren’t together, but with Orin I didn’t unless I was with him. I supposed that was because what I felt for Aidan was love, but I wasn’t entirely sure.
My father walked into the hall so I knew he had heard Orin’s car coming up the drive. He smiled and told me how pretty I looked, then opened the door.
Orin was already standing on the stoop looking uncomfortable, and my father’s icy expression didn’t do anything to ease the situation.
“Hello, sir, I’m Orin.” They exchanged an awkward handshake, which Orin pulled away from quickly. “It is nice to meet Katie’s parents at last.”
My father eyed him closely as if analyzing him. “We are very close,” he said, his tone threatening, which was very unlike my father. “Katie, I want you home by eleven.” He peered at me sharply, and then walked to my mother’s side, placing his arm around her.
“I’ll be sure she’s home on time,” Orin said as we moved out of the door.
“Be sure you do,” my father murmured behind us.
“Sorry,” I said, as Orin helped me into the car.
“Don’t be, they are parents, of course they are concerned for your safety,” he told me before closing the car door, giving the house once last long look before he got inside and started the car.
As we drove through town, we talked. I found we had a lot in common, and I grew more comfortable in his presence.
“You look great,” he said, casting an approving glance my way.
“Thanks, you too.” It wasn’t just polite talk. He was really hot, and I knew many of the girls at school were already after him.
“Your parents seem nice, different than I expected,” he said.
The way he said things was odd, as if there was another meaning I didn’t get. “Thanks,” I answered, but I didn’t want to talk about my family. I always feared that I would slip up and say something that might give their vampire status away. “Do you know where you’re going?”
“I drove past the restaurant the other day.” He reached over, taking my hand in his own. “What movie are we seeing tonight?”
“Jess said something about a new horror movie that just came out, so I guess that’s the one.” I had let her make all the plans, to make up for her unhappiness that I was no longer seeing Chad, but now I was regretting it.
“Sounds good to me, I love to see evil monsters get what’s coming to them.” He chuckled as if joking, but his face was hard and his hands clenched tightly around the wheel. Before I could comment, he pulled into Kelly’s parking lot where Jess and Josh were waiting out in front of the restaurant for us. We got out and joined them and walked inside, where Chris and his girlfriend already sat at a table large enough for us all. After taking our seats and ordering our meals a nervous silence filled the air, but then Chris, as always, began to crack jokes and everyone seemed to loosen up. Soon I found myself relaxing and enjoying the conversation that flowed around the table. I had been dreading the night, but Orin was very charming and soon had everyone at ease, so it went better than I could have imagined.
After dinner we drove to the theater and the guys brought our tickets. Since it was crowded, we found our seats quickly and spent the next few minutes talking while waiting for the movie to start. The lights went down. Orin reached over and took my hand in his, absently stroking my fingers with his own as if he were nervous. I, too, was feeling somewhat nervous. I wasn’t sure he understood I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, and worried he might misunderstand our going out as something more than it was, like Chad had done.
“Orin, I…”
“Shhh!” Jess whispered next to me as the movie started.
“Later,” Orin murmured, turning his attention to the screen.
Everyone in the theater watched intently as the killer butchered one victim after another until only one girl, who was scantily clad, badly wounded, and too weak to fight, was left. He stalked her for ten horrifying minutes before he finally caught her, and I looked away when he took an axe to the female, laughing maniacally before leaving another blood-soak
ed crime scene behind. When the screaming stopped and I looked back to the screen the carnage I saw made me nauseous, and I leaned my head back against the seat, closing my eyes. Orin saw my discomfort and pulled me into his arms, laying my face against his chest so I could no longer see the screen. His warm scent filled my nose and I was thankful for his thoughtfulness, but it didn’t offer the same comfort Aidan’s arms did.
Aidan’s embrace always offered me reassurance and safety. Just being close to him brought me solace and peace. Emotion twisted my stomach as I thought about how lonely I was without him and how desperate I was to be with him again. Suddenly I needed to get away, so I made an excuse to go to the bathroom and fled before he could stop me.
I stood at the sink trembling, beating myself up for being unable to forget about Aidan. Every day he was gone it just got harder, and the hole in my heart refused to mend.
“Are you okay?” Jess asked from behind me.
“Yes, I just needed a minute. I guess the blood was too much...” Her face fell and she rushed to a conclusion that gave me the cover I needed.
“Oh, God, I’m so sorry, we never thought…I mean, with your accident and all it is understandable that you were upset with all that blood.”
Tears welled in her eyes and I rushed to reassure her. “No, its fine, really. I’m alright now, so let’s go back to the guys.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodded and grabbed her hand, pulling her from the bathroom.
Everyone was waiting in the foyer looking concerned as we walked out.
“Are you okay?” Orin asked, taking my hand in his, pulling me to his side, and placing his arm around my waist.
“I’ll be fine. I guess there was too much blood,” I lied. “Do you think you could take me home?” I hated to end the evening in such a sour note, but I couldn’t tell them why I was really upset. It was easier to let them believe the gore of the movie had been responsible for my sudden illness.
“Sure thing,” he told me.
We quickly said our goodbyes, walked to the parking lot, and got inside his car. He was really sweet and understanding about everything, and I felt like a heel for lying to him.
“I’ll have you home soon,” he said, starting the car and turning on the heat to warm me.
“Thank you,” I murmured, laying my head back against the seat.
We rode in silence, me with my eyes closed, feigning illness, and he focusing on the dark roadway. He pulled up to my house, then hurriedly helped me out of the car and walked me to the front door.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the movie would affect me that way,” I apologized.
“It’s alright. Maybe we can try again another night?” He looked hopeful, but I did not want to promise anything. He leaned forward and lifted my chin so he was staring into my eyes. “I really want to see you again; do not say no, please.” Before I could react his lips met mine and his arms moved around me pulling me into his embrace.
I should have pulled away, or tried to protest, but I found myself unable to object. It was as if he had me under a spell, and I was shocked by how easily I gave myself over to his kiss considering that just a half hour before I was heartsick over Aidan. The porch light snapped on suddenly and he pulled back, ending the kiss. I, too, took a step back placing a finger to my kiss- swollen lips, surprised by my response to him.
“Don’t over-think it,” he said, his gaze locked on mine. “Good night, Katie,” he said softly before walking to his car, leaving me staring after him with confusion.
“Good night, Orin,” I whispered, unsure if he had even heard me.
I opened the front door and walked inside still dazed by the effect his kiss had on me and almost running into Paul, who was standing in the dark foyer waiting for me. “Did you have a good time?” he sneered.
Obviously, he had seen the kiss, which explained the light, but I did not understand his anger. After all, he was the one who wanted me away from Aidan. He should have been glad to see me dating another male.
“It was nice,” I said calmly, hoping to avoid a fight.
“Well, goodnight, then.” He gave me a chilling look then walked out, leaving me to ponder what I had to done that angered him.
I shook my head and walked to my room, where I started my CD player so I could unwind after my strange evening. I was singing along to one of my favorite bands, contemplating my weird reaction to Orin’s kiss, when the song changed to the one Aidan and I danced to on my sixteenth birthday. All thoughts of Orin dissipated and I wrapped my arms around myself, rehashing every detail of that magical night. How wonderful it felt to be held in his arms, how it felt when he kissed me in the gazebo, and how that night I realized how very in love with him I was. Unable to bear being without him, I slammed my hand down on the CD player and ended the music. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks and sobs tore from deep inside of my throat as I lay on the bed giving vent to my grief until I was so exhausted I slipped into a deep dream-filled sleep.
In my dream, Aidan and I were walking in the garden together, enjoying each other’s company. We talked for a long time about my friends and school, just enjoying our time together, but as always, the time came far too soon for him to go.
He pulled me into his arms and held me close, brushing my lips gently with his own. “Katie, please do not spend all of your time longing for me. I want you to have fun, go out with your friends, date like the other girls your age are doing.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to date anyone. I only want you,” I told him, wrapping my arms around his waist and laying my head on his chest, wishing he would never leave me.
“For now that cannot be; you are so young, and I can’t allow myself to take advantage of you. Besides, I need to be very sure I am what you want. So even though it kills me, you need to date and see if what you feel for me is true.” He kissed me again, this time more aggressively as if he, too, was dreading our parting. He began to pull away and I begged him again to stay, but he gave me a final lingering kiss and was gone. I woke to the sound of my alarm and slammed my hand down on the off-button, still feeling the coolness on my lips where he had kissed me. Weird.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Over the next few weeks, Orin and I spent a lot of time together. We had the same classes, a lot of the same interests, and when he looked me in the eye and asked me out, I just couldn’t seem to say no to him. Saturdays nights we went to Kelly’s or the movies, although he insisted on no more horrors. He was fun to be with and easy to talk to and, although he did not make my heart race like Aidan did, I was drawn to him.
Paul’s dislike of Orin made things very difficult at times but he seemed to heed my father’s warning and didn’t interfere, although he took every opportunity to belittle him and followed us everywhere we went.
During Thanksgiving break we spent our time hanging out at Kelly’s or the movie theater with my friends. My parents were not happy that I was almost never home, but Orin never wanted to go to my house to hang out as I used to do with my other friends. Given the hard time Paul always gave him, I completely understood why.
Despite the fact Orin was very attentive and went out of his way to make sure I was always enjoying myself, when I got home it was Aidan that I thought about and Aidan that filled my dreams. No matter what it was that I felt for Orin, it could never compete for what I felt for him. I spent hours reading and rereading all of the little notes he had left me and listening to music that reminded me of him. As time went by, though, and no word or visits came from Aidan, I found myself beginning to doubt his feelings for me. I knew my father didn’t want him there with me, but I couldn’t help but wonder how, if he cared for me as I did him, he could stand to stay away. It was irrational, I knew, but I truly felt abandoned by the one male I had never thought would desert me, and that drove me closer to Orin, who was always there and made no secret about how he felt about me.
Orin had even pushed me to get my driver’s license so I could ex
perience the freedom all of my friends enjoyed. My father was thrilled when I passed on my first try and before long I was driving every chance I got, but never in my own car. I couldn’t bear the idea of driving the car Aidan had brought me, not while I was so angry with him and certainly not when I was with another male.
*****
Before I knew it, the first week of December was upon us and with it came the cold winter weather. We had an abundance of snow on the ground, and I mentioned casually to Orin how much I loved to ski one night as we ate dinner at Kelly’s. The very next weekend he took me to one of the local lodges as a surprise. We had an amazing time swooshing down the snow- covered hills until our feet were frozen and I could no longer feel my nose. Seeing my chilled state, Orin called a break for lunch. After eating a massive meal that I swore would slow me down on the slopes, we sat in front of the large fire in the center of the lodge snuggling close as we sipped hot chocolate.
“I had a great time today,” he whispered, nuzzling my hair with his lips.
As always, when he touched me I felt a pull toward him that wouldn’t be denied, and since I was still nursing my anger for Aidan, I didn’t’ bother to fight it. “Thank you for this, I have not skied in years, but I am having a good time.”
He pulled me closer, kissing me tenderly, his hand moving up my shirt, which took me by surprise. We had kissed and cuddled before, but never had he been so bold and it unnerved me. “Um…Do you think we could make it downhill one time before we go?” I asked, pulling away to place my cup on a nearby table. I heard his disappointed sigh, but when I turned back he had an indulgent smile upon his face.
“I’m sure we can,” he replied, jumping to his feet and helping me off the floor.
*****
The sun was just setting, filling the sky with vibrant oranges, purples, and reds that reflected off the snow, making a spectacular sight as we began our final run. So caught up the moment we were that neither of us heard another skier behind coming up behind us until it was too late. The male skier ran into me from behind, taking me down in a painful mass of skis and limbs. My arm somehow tangled with his skies in the fall. As he disentangled himself, mind- numbing pain shot through the limb and I screamed.
