by Lizzy Ford
“There’s a football game tonight. You wanna go?” he asked.
“Um, I don’t know,” she murmured, thoughts on her leg. Sitting outside on cold bleachers didn’t sound appealing.
“It’ll be fun. I can drive.”
She hesitated too long.
“Be ready at five,” he ordered. “Got it?”
“If this is a date, I’ll have to tell Amber,” she warned him, flattered and curious as to why the handsome youth would ask her out.
“This has nothing to do with you being blond,” he replied. “It’s not a date per se, just an outing to welcome the new girl.”
“You should take all three of us then.”
“I’m trying to make up for being an ass,” he said.
“You could start by just not talking.”
He looked at her. She struggled not to smile. A slow grin crossed his face, and he held her gaze long enough for her face to feel unusually warm.
“Yeah, I like you,” he said. “I’ll see you at five. Stay out of the forest.” He grabbed another cookie and strode out of the kitchen, back into the Square.
She watched him, admiring his muscular frame. It wasn’t him, though, she saw leaving the kitchen. It was someone else, someone she didn’t know, but who looked a lot like him.
For some reason, she was reminded of lying on the picnic table in the Square to see the constellation Orion.
Chapter Four
Head and leg aching more than she wanted, Autumn made her way to her room. She opened the door to find the blond girl and another with dark hair seated on Dawn’s bed with their laptops.
“Are you Autumn?” the blond asked, looking up.
“I am. You must be Dawn.”
“Let me tell you the rules.” Dawn pointed to the space between their beds. “Stay on your side of the room. Don’t touch my clothes. You can’t afford to replace them. You left your junk in the bathroom this morning on the sink. The sink is mine; your stuff goes in the drawers. What size shoes do you wear?”
Taken aback, Autumn almost missed the question. “Um, seven and a half.”
“Too small,” she said, disappointed. “You have some cute boots.”
“Thanks.”
“This is Sonya. She basically lives here.” Dawn indicated the pretty girl seated on the end of her bed.
“Hi,” Sonya said. Her smile was friendly and her features exotic.
Dawn’s eyes went to Autumn’s bad leg. She looked like she was about to say something. Autumn willed her not to. The blond girl changed her mind and sank back on the bed, attention going to her computer.
“I’m gonna hop in the shower in a minute,” Dawn told her. “You can put your stuff in the drawers first, though. Oh, and Beck Turner is off limits. He’s mine.”
Autumn bit back a retort. She needed to be on decent terms with the girl she was forced to room with. She began to see why others had warned her. Hopefully, today was the worst of it.
Body hurting, Autumn nonetheless put her things away as Dawn demanded before she popped one of her lighter painkillers and lay down on her bed to rest. Dawn and Sonya talked a little but spent most of their time on their laptops or phones.
When Dawn went into the bathroom, Autumn dozed off. She awoke almost two hours later to hear the shower water running. She glanced at the clock. It was four. She had to be ready to leave at five. At a quarter after four, Dawn finally left the bathroom.
Autumn slid into the bathroom quickly. Happy there was still hot water, she let it run over her for a few minutes before cleaning up and exiting.
“Hel-lo! You’re not the only one who has to get ready!” Dawn shouted through the door.
Autumn glanced at the knob, making sure it was locked. Wrapped in her towel, she pulled a comb through her hair quickly but hesitated to wipe the fog from the mirror.
“Hurry up, Autumn!”
Autumn drew a deep breath to keep from yelling back. Dawn spent over two hours locked in the bathroom when she took a shower, compared to Autumn’s twenty minutes. Between Dawn and the foggy mirror, Autumn felt stressed out. Steeling herself, she wiped the mirror down. The pretty girl with long, dark hair – who looked nothing like her! – was there. They stared at each other.
“Autumn!”
Autumn blinked, and the girl in the mirror was gone. She’d thought about talking to the girl in the mirror one day, until she realized they were the same person.
Sorta. Or maybe she was crazy.
“Come on!”
I’m tired of feeling like I have no control. Irritated, she gathered up her make-up bag and dirty clothes then wrenched the door open.
Dawn was pacing. “Omigod, it’s about time.” She shoved by Autumn into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Autumn set her things down on her bed. The drunk driver, the helplessness she experienced during the weeks after the accident. She had no control over her own mind and little over her damaged body. She couldn’t even shower on her own terms. The almost-familiar surroundings made her more frustrated.
Anger trickled through her. Waking up with no memory and a body that didn’t know how to walk made her sensitive to her instincts. There were some things her body – and mind – innately knew or remembered. She’d learned to trust her intuition.
Right now, it told her something important happened at this school, something that changed her. Something involving Dawn? She had bad vibes about the beautiful girl. Where Adam and Beck were comfortable to her like old friends, Dawn was like a blast of cold air.
“Sonya’s coming by in a minute. Let her in!” Dawn shouted from the bathroom a moment before the shower came on.
Autumn sighed. What did she do with that anger? She did kind of like Sonya, who smiled at her. There were no memories or feelings at all associated with the quiet girl. It was nice. As if on cue, someone knocked at the door. Autumn crossed to it and yanked it open.
She froze and looked up into Beck’s striking eyes. He wore jeans and a short-sleeved sweater. He radiated soothing, gentle magick that lessened her anger at Dawn.
“Hi,” he said at last. His gaze swept over her form.
“You’re not Sonya,” she replied, flushing. She’d answered the door in her towel, assuming no one but Sonya would be knocking.
“I can be,” Beck offered with a grin.
Embarrassed, Autumn slammed the door. He knocked again.
“Just a minute!” she called. She changed with clumsy hands drew a breath then opened the door as calmly as she could manage. “Sorry.”
“No worries.” His smile was quick. “You ready?”
“Not yet. Aren’t you early?” she glanced towards the clock on her nightstand. She had a full twenty minutes before five.
“Amber said she thought she saw you leave with Adam and the other girls,” he said, shrugging. “Just double-checking.”
“Well, I didn’t.” Her face warmed again. “Obviously.”
“You sure? I mean, maybe –“
At the sarcastic tone, she closed the door on him again. What kind of person had the confidence to ask out a complete stranger after a two minute conversation anyway?
Another knock made her jump. She opened the door for a third time, ready to order him gone, and saw Sonya outside. The tall girl was dressed in dark, designer jeans and a snug sweater.
“Hey, Autumn,” she said, gaze on the screen of her smart phone. “Dawn ready?”
“Not quite,” Autumn replied. “She’s in the bathroom.”
“Omigod, she takes forever.”
Autumn closed the door. Sonya crossed to the bathroom door and beat on it then walked in. The two of them talked loudly, though their exact words weren’t discernible.
Chewing her lip, Autumn pushed herself away from the door and crossed to the brace on her bed. She debated not wearing it but decided she probably should, after the taxing walk this morning. She hated being forced to rely on it because her body was too weak to support itself. Going to her closet, she g
azed at the clothing the orphanage had brought to the hospital. They’d claimed they were hers, but some of them still had tags.
She fingered one of the tags on a sweater she’d never worn. While she loved the clothes, they weren’t things she remembered picking. She could tell by the way they fit and material that they weren’t donations like the other orphans wore. Some of the tags themselves were leather on ribbons with brand names she’d never heard of.
They were way too nice. The colors were perfect for her complexion. Maybe someone at the hospital or orphanage took pity on her and bought her a new wardrobe after her accident. She couldn’t remember anyone who might’ve done that, and she instinctively knew she didn’t choose them.
It was probably the same person who paid for the hospital bill, since her case worker said the orphanage never could’ve afforded the long stay and would’ve yanked her out when the doctors said she was stable enough. The state definitely didn’t pay for the physical rehabilitation or psychotherapy, both of which occurred three times a week.
Autumn shook her head to clear the thoughts. She was no closer to uncovering her memories now than she was when she woke up in the hospital. She pulled the tags off one of the nicer sweaters – a maroon, cashmere turtleneck – and a pair of dark jeans she hadn’t worn yet, because they seemed too nice for everyday wear.
Tonight was different, though. Tonight warranted nice clothing. She changed out of the clothes she’d thrown on and into the sweater and jeans. Her make-up routine was simple, unlike Dawn’s forty five minutes, and she pulled on ankle-high boots.
Right at five, she stepped from the main house onto the porch. A sleek, black car idled in front of the porch. Beck was standing at the driver’s door, talking to Amber. His gaze was intent, his arms crossed. Amber didn’t look happy. Autumn waited. A few minutes passed before Amber stepped towards the porch.
Amber’s face lit up at the sight of her. “You going to the game?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s my date,” Beck called, winking.
“Remember the rules,” Amber returned.
“My intentions are noble, ma’am.”
Autumn’s face was hot from the exchange and Beck’s declaration. She hadn’t thought this a real date just a … maybe it was. Or maybe, he was doing what people at the orphanage had done and taken pity on the poor, beat-up blond girl. She hated that.
Amber hugged her before going to the porch door. Beck circled the car and opened the passenger side door. Autumn went and slid into the sporty car. Her eye caught on the BMW symbol on the steering wheel. She knew from Amber’s orientation that many of the students here were from wealthy families, but she was surprised someone who couldn’t be over eighteen drove such a nice car.
He climbed into the driver’s seat with a wave at Amber. He put the car into gear and drove down the driveway. The gravel crunched under the tires, limiting their ability to talk until they reached the road.
“Hot? Cold? Good enough?” Beck asked, motioning to the environmental controls.
“I’m fine,” she replied. She gazed at his profile. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Where exactly are you taking me?”
He grinned. “It’s an hour drive to Newport, which is where our football team plays home games, since we don’t have our own stadium. My brother’s school is playing ours tonight. We’re kinda isolated at the school. Really sucks if you don’t have a car to get to the mall or anything.” Beck was upbeat and outgoing, the opposite of how she felt. Something about his attitude was contagious.
The tension between her shoulders melted, and she found herself looking forward to the evening out, even if she rarely went out. At least, she didn’t think she did. She really didn’t know.
“You probably think I walk around asking out every pretty blond at school, but I really don’t. You seemed …a little lost.”
“I don’t feel lost,” she replied archly. As she suspected, he was taking pity on her. He was too charismatic for her to her to be angry. “It’s kinda weird. I probably should.”
“Why?”
“Never mind. It’s stupid.”
“Trust me, I don’t think anything you can tell me would be weird,” he said.
She smiled and looked out the window but didn’t volunteer anything else. The sun was setting already, casting long shadows across the road. The sky ahead of them grew darker.
“So, tell me about Autumn,” he prodded at her silence.
“I wish I knew.”
He waited. When she said nothing else, he glanced at her. “That’s it?”
“Pretty much.”
“Okay, I can make up a story about your background.”
Autumn returned her gaze to him.
“You’re from California, where you’re a part-time mermaid. The rest of the time, you rescue homeless dogs,” Beck started. “I think you can read minds, too, right?”
She shook her head. She didn’t want to smile but did.
“Well, you can now. Your favorite color is blue, because you’re a water element.”
“I like your version of things better,” she said. “But I’m not a water element. I’m afraid of water, I think. I can’t remember much of anything from before the accident.”
“Wow, that’s terrible.”
“I’m lucky I survived. I have scars all over,” she said, indicating her neck and body.
“Did they catch the guy?”
“I don’t know. I focused more on trying to get better. Today’s the first day I walked without my brace. I’ve been kinda happy about that.”
“That’s quite a story. What was a mermaid doing in the street?”
“Part-time mermaid,” she reminded him. “I don’t know. I can’t remember the accident.”
“I knew there was something different about you.” His smile was back. “Do you know your element yet? Or is it too soon?”
“I think I know,” she said, pensive. “I don’t understand a lot of that stuff yet.”
“Rough few days?”
“No,” she replied. “Familiar. Like you. I keep thinking this is déjà vu.”
“Okay, so the mermaid can’t read minds, but you can see the future. Who wins the game tonight?” he asked.
“Who’s playing?” she returned.
He chuckled.
“What … element are you? Or do you talk to or whatever it is we do with elements?” she asked.
“Earth.”
“The protector element,” she recalled from her reading.
Beck glanced at her again. “Yeah. Allegedly.”
“I can almost see that.”
“Almost.” He rolled his eyes. “Awesome.”
“You’re trying to be nice. I guess.”
“And failing miserably.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I’m being mean to you, aren’t I?”
“Oh, yeah.” He smiled to show he was joking.
“I’m earth, too. I think,” she said, thinking again.
“Are you? I didn’t sense it.”
“Is it possible to have two elements?”
“Very rare.”
“I think I do. Air and earth.”
“Air and earth,” he repeated. “Almost impossible, Autumn.”
The way he said her name made her look at him. His smile was gone, and he gripped the steering wheel tight enough for his knuckles to be white.
“I could be wrong,” she said, puzzled by the sudden tension in his frame. He wore the same expression he did when staring down the path they were forbidden from entering. It didn’t seem to be his nature to be serious and made her uncomfortable. “I just got here. I’m sure I’m wrong.”
He was silent.
“Could you say something please?” she asked uneasily.
“Sorry,” he said. He released a breath and looked at her. “Flashbacks.”
She was afraid to ask this time. She’d thought him joking earlier, but there
was something he was remembering that he didn’t like.
“Do you always do this? Flip moods so fast?”
He laughed. “No. I’m the most stable person I know. Just, uh, dealing with some stuff on the personal side. Family business I inherited when I turned eighteen few weeks ago. I’m not used to it yet but am trying to adapt.”
“Oh,” she said. “’Cuz you’re kinda freaking me out.”
“I’m really sorry, Autumn,” he said with earnestness that left her face warm. “I’d never hurt you.”
It was an odd thing to say. If she didn’t think he’d flip into a weird mood again, she’d ask him why he said it. Instead, she changed the subject.
They talked most of the way to Newport. By the time they arrived, the game was just starting, and the skies were dark. Beck opened the door for her. She stepped out. It was chillier than she expected.
“If you get cold, hungry, bored, whatever, let me know,” he said. “Okay?”
She nodded, pleased to find him such a gentleman. Not that she remembered much about him, but this aspect of him seemed genuinely new. Beck offered his arm. Grateful for the dark that hid her blush, she took it.
“We’re meeting a few folks here. Chances are, our team will get skunked.”
Autumn glanced up at him as they moved through the parking lot towards the stadium. The air was clear and crisp. He had the body of an athlete; she wondered what sports he played. Swimming? No, not Beck.
The guy she’d seen leaving the kitchen who watched the stars with her.
The memory escaped her again. She was getting sick of a place that seemed welcoming yet left her so frustrated.
“How’s Dawn treatin’ you?” he asked as they neared the stadium. “She’s not easy to get along with.”
“No, she’s not,” she agreed. “She leaves me alone, though, for the most part.”
“That’s good. She can be a real bitch to new girls.”
“I think we’ll end up in an argument soon.”
“Careful. She holds no punches,” he warned. “If it comes to that, move out. Trust me on this one.”
They entered the stadium. The game was going, and the bleachers half full. Autumn looked around, enjoying the excitement in the cool air. With Beck’s soothing touch taking away her pain, she felt good for the first time in weeks. The wind sang to her. It was as excited as the fans. The other team’s marching band blared as they scored, and she jumped.
