by Heather Karn
Chapter 16
For once since the school year began, I beat Chrissa to school. I’d hurried Gram out the door, much to her disdain, so that I’d have more time with my friend before school. Kev had shown himself to us as we scurried to the car. He’d been standing in the tall grass outside the tree line, his head easily clearing the waving fronds. Gram had glowered at him, but then again she was casting the same look at me.
Good morning, my sunshine. I’ll meet you at school. Be safe.
My smile grew wider hearing his greeting, the first morning greeting he’d given me. Gram wasn’t in a chatty mood or in the mood for any loud noises, so I mumbled my good morning greeting under my breath.
Chrissa’s car hadn’t been in the parking lot when we pulled up, so I knew I’d beaten her. I hoped she wouldn’t be too far behind me. Luck wasn’t on my side. She stepped into the building a few minutes before the bell was supposed to ring, a scowl covering her pretty face.
When she saw me, my grin widened, and her scowl flipped into a matching smile. “I haven’t seen you this happy since…well ever. Spill. Now.”
She didn’t bother to open her locker. Instead, she leaned against it, waiting for me to dish what had me smiling like a mad woman. I’d decided as I’d lain in bed that I needed to tell her my secret. She was my friend after all, and she’d kept Kev’s secret. I knew she would keep mine too.
The morning bell cut me off as I opened my mouth, and Chrissa proceeded to call it plenty of not very nice names. Shaking my head at her, I waited as she stuffed her coat and book bag into the locker and grabbed her book for our first class.
“How juicy is what you have to tell me?” Chrissa asked as we weaved our way through the hall.
“I hope your mom has plenty of popcorn. And chocolate. Lots of chocolate.”
“That good? I have a feeling today is going to drag.”
And it did. One class after another felt as if it would never end. By the time Senior English came around, I was sure I’d aged at least a hundred years. At the sound of the final bell, Chrissa and I about mowed everyone over getting to our lockers. The moment we broke free of the school building, we started sprinting, dodging around those who’d beaten us out, until we reached her car.
“So is what you have to tell me ice cream worthy? I have a feeling it is.” Chrissa asked, unlocking the doors so we could climb in. I’d just shut my door when she spoke again. “Oh look, there’s lover boy.”
My head snapped up before I finished buckling my seatbelt as my eyes scanned the parking lot. There he was, leaning against a tree at the edge of the lot, arms crossed over his wide chest, watching us. As I stared at him, heat spread throughout my stomach and my pulse quickened. I could have sworn he grinned at my body’s reaction to him. He really wanted his butt kicked.
“Yup, I think we’re going to need lots of ice cream. This is going to be another calorie binging night; I can tell already.”
Chrissa’s voice reminded me that we had an audience, which served to deepen my blush.
“I think you’re going to need a whole gallon to yourself.”
“That good, huh? Well, let’s quit wasting time and get a move on it, missy.”
Without looking around her or checking her mirrors, Chrissa careened out of the parking lot like we were on our way to some emergency. The crazy girl was going to get us both killed. Or total her car.
“So are you going to tell me now, or do I have to wait?” Chrissa whined, sounding more like a spoiled child than an eccentric teenager.
While letting out a low sigh, I dramatically tapped a finger to my lips like I was considering my options. “I think you’re just going to have to wait.”
“Dude, you’re killing me,” she cried and followed it up with an equally loud groan of impatience and frustration.
Without warning Chrissa whipped the steering wheel, taking a sharp right into the tiny parking lot of the local grocery store. Bracing for impact before we collided with the building, I squeezed my eyes tight and pulled my legs close to the seat. Chrissa slammed the brakes, causing the car to lurch as we stopped, leaving me thinking I’d gotten whiplash. Heck, my seatbelt had locked.
“Be right back,” she called as she jumped from the car, leaving the engine running.
I would have laughed at her crazed expression as she flew into the store, but I was still trying to put my stomach back where it belonged. Kev was going to kill her if she killed me. And I’d seen my life flash before my eyes. Maybe I did need to get my driver’s license and a car. Then I could drive us safely around. This whole almost dying trend was getting old.
She wasn’t gone long, and as she left the store, she threw the door open so hard that I was surprised it stayed on its hinges. Without a backward glance, she hopped from the curb to the car. From what I could tell she was already on a high. What would she do when sugar and juicy gossip were added to that mix?
Opening the car door, she threw the plastic bag with her purchases in my general direction. Inside were two pint containers of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Their sweet scent filled my nose causing my mouth to water in anticipation. If there had been spoons in the bag, I would’ve already been digging in. With her mission accomplished, Chrissa backed out of the space and pulled onto the road with as much enthusiasm as she’d used pulling in.
A few minutes later we were parked in front of her house, which was in a small neighborhood in the mountains on the outskirts of town. Trees surrounded the houses, giving them privacy from the rest of the world.
For being in the middle of nowhere, the houses were like mansions, at least to me since I’d grown used to small apartments and Gram’s tiny house. The entire front of the two story building and the sides that I could see were made of light brown brick, and white columns supported the front porch’s overhang. Shrubs grew along the front of the building, and ivy had tangled itself in the old oak tree that stood next to the sidewalk leading to the porch. I loved it instantly.
“Wow, this house is huge.”
“I know, right? Mom and Dad had looked at a few others before we decided on this one. It’s a bit too big for the three of us, but I can’t complain. It’s freaking awesome. Come on, let’s get this show on the road.”
My eyes never left the house as I continued to take in the intricacies of the old style architecture while I climbed from the car. Chrissa was far from patient with my examination as she closed the door behind me with more force than was necessary.
“Come on, let’s go. Ice cream’s melting.”
Grabbing me by the elbow, she hauled me up the sidewalk to the front door. She didn’t need to, though. The moment she mentioned ice cream my feet were on the move.
The door was unlocked, so we walked right on in. To the left was a large den and straight ahead down a short hall was the kitchen, which was Chrissa’s destination. As we passed through the hallway, stairs heading to the second floor appeared to the left. They were wooden, and I was pretty sure with the age of the house they made a variety of squeaks and groans when stepped on.
“Mom,” Chrissa called as we reached the kitchen and found it empty. “Mom, where are you?”
“Living room,” a light, feminine voice called through a second doorway to our left. Chrissa followed the voice as I remained on her heals.
The living room contained a few chairs and a couch, with a TV in one corner. A middle-aged woman who looked almost identical to Chrissa sat on the couch with orange and black fabric and a bunch of sewing pins strewn around her. She looked up from her pile of cloth when we walked into the room, smiling at the two of us.
“Mom, this Joey. Joey, this is my mom, Gayle.” Chrissa introduced as she dropped her backpack to the wood floor by a chair.
“Hi. It’s nice to meet you.” It had been a long time since I’d met the parents of one of my friends, and though Gayle looked friendly, she still made my palms sweat.
“You as well, Joey. Give me a second and I’ll be ready. In the meantime,
Chrissa, go get a folding chair from the closet, will you? I’m going to need to hem the pants.”
She finished what she was doing with the fabric and stood as Chrissa jogged from the room. Taking a closer look at the material on the couch, I realized that there were already two sets of clothes sewn together. Gayle caught me staring.
“Chrissa said that you two were about the same size, only you were shorter, so I went off her measurements, but I’m going to do the final fitting with you. I want them to fit and give you shape, not make you look like a blob.”
“This is really nice of you. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s been fun. I thought you could wear leggings and a thin shirt underneath for added warmth. Can you try them on? They’ll probably fit over your clothes.”
That Chrissa had thought that we were the same size, with me being shorter, was almost laughable, but humbling. She was a twig, and I wasn’t. My best friend really did see the best in everyone it appeared. Well, everyone but Michael.
Chrissa appeared carrying a folding chair as I stripped off my backpack and jacket to do as Gayle had instructed. Then we both pulled the orange shirt and pants on over our clothes. Since I didn’t know how to sew at all, I was pretty amazed at the job Gayle had already done on the clothes. Even with Chrissa’s exaggerated size difference, my outfit still fit with room to spare. Maybe Gayle knew that very few people actually were Chrissa’s size.
As I’d suspected and Gayle had explained, the pants were too long and loose on my hips. Chrissa finished dressing first and hopped on the chair before Gayle instructed her to do so. While I continued to struggle to get the shirt on, she began pinning Chrissa’s pants. With my clothes finally settled on me, I watched as Gayle deftly placed the pins in the fabric. If it were me, I’d have skewered myself several times during the whole process.
Once Chrissa was all pinned, Gayle helped her off the chair so she wouldn’t stick herself, and I climbed up on it to repeat the process I’d watched. Gayle pinned my clothes as she explained that she hadn’t put the elastic waistband in yet because she needed me there to size it. She also didn’t need to tell me to hold still as she worked. I wasn’t about to move, because, with my luck, I’d get stuck by every pin like they were strategically placed to do only that.
Lastly, Gayle used yet more pins to attach orange fabric to the back of the shirts that would end up being a hood with ears. In all, the process took less time than I thought it would, but Chrissa had lost her patience about halfway through. Thankfully her dad, Greg, came to check on our progress, and she’d been able to tell him we needed popcorn and a pack of Oreos and a jar of peanut butter on standby. He’d obliged her overdramatic request to fill the largest bowl Gayle had, and soon the buttery aroma of popcorn filled the house.
“All right, I think that’s it. For now anyway. Will you be spending the night Friday? I could do any finishing touches then.” Gayle asked as we carefully maneuvered ourselves out of the clothes without getting skewered by pins or dislodging them. It was an obstacle course.
“Umm, I don’t know,” I said, finally getting the shirt over my head without drawing blood, though I’d gotten stuck by pins a few billion times.
“Sure you are,” Chrissa exclaimed as she escaped her pants with ease. She made it look too easy, but then again she’d done this before. “I’m sure you’re grandma wouldn’t have a problem with it.”
“No, she wouldn’t. I’ll ask and let you know for sure.”
“Are we done then?” Chrissa folded the chair up and ran from the room to put it away while I finished climbing out of my pants.
“I think so. Why? What are you in such a big hurry for?”
Gayle took the fabric from me and laid it beside the rest of our clothes and the black material already on the couch. Taking a closer look, I saw she’d been cutting stripes for the clothes when we’d come into the house.
“Oh, you know. Girlie stuff. Talk about boys and all that,” Chrissa responded coming back into the room. Wearing a huge smile she threw a long arm around my shoulders.
“Okay, well you two have fun, but not too much fun.”
“Thanks. Let’s go, Joey.”
Grabbing our tubs of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Oreos and peanut butter, and the bowl of popcorn Greg had made, we jogged up the stairs to her room. As the stairs squeaked and moaned under our feet, I mentally patted myself on the back for being right in my assessment of their noisiness. Chrissa led me into a doorway to the left of the stairs that held a large queen bed and a few dressers and a small desk which was covered in makeup and hair supplies.
With the food deposited on the bed, she shut the door, and we climbed up beside it. Chrissa’s intense eyes stared through me as I opened my ice cream and began poking my spoon at it. Meanwhile, my stomach was eating itself in its nervousness. Things were about to get real.
“Do you think he’s outside watching the house as we speak?”
After sticking an obnoxious amount of ice cream in her mouth, she flicked her eyes to the window beside the bed. There was no need to ask who the “he” was. There was only one “he” who could make my cheeks flush like they did at that moment.
“Yup.”
“Sooo? What’s going on? I need details. He ask you out yet?”
“Not officially, but we’re officially dating.”
There wasn’t enough time for me to slap my hands over my ears as Chrissa let loose a squeal that could wake the dead. Cringing was about all I could muster before it ceased. Oh, and wishing for ear plugs. Even without the extra hearing ability my weregal boyfriend had, I still felt my ears wanting to bleed from the obnoxious sound. Any human who could screech like that needed never to do it again.
“Took that boy long enough! How’d it happen?”
“Well, it started when we had dinner with Gram and Aunt Gwen, and we all had a nice chat.”
“Wait, he had dinner with your grandma? The one who hates weregals? And he survived?”
“Yup, that grandma. She seems to like Kev a little, though. He’s got this charm about him, plus he’s honest and straightforward like she is. When she asked him if he wanted me as a mate, he told her yes, and then pretty much stated he wasn’t going to stop trying to convince me to be his mate.”
“Wow, that takes some guts. And what do you think, missy?” She was inhaling her ice cream like she was watching some intense Soap Opera scene and couldn’t take her eyes away. I doubted she even realized she was almost halfway through her pint of Chunky Monkey.
“I think we need to talk,” I told her hesitantly as I set my untouched ice cream in my lap. “There’s something I haven’t told you. It explains why Gram is okay with Kev and I dating.”
“Okay?” Her ice cream was now forgotten as well as she stared at me across the bed, worry creasing her brow.
My hands shook now that I had nothing to hold. Maybe putting the ice cream down had been a bad idea, but if she ran for the door, I wanted my hands free to stop her or get ahead of her to make an escape. She’d been super excited about Kev being a weregal, but I wasn’t sure how she’d handle finding out about me. Now that it was finally time to tell her, I was regretting the decision to do it in the first place, but I’d started down that road, and now I needed to finish it.
“Gram’s okay with it because Kev isn’t dating a human.”
She continued to stare at me, but I could see in her eyes that she was putting the pieces together. “Joey, what exactly are you telling me?”
“Chrissa, I’m not human. Not entirely anyway. My mom was human, but my dad was a weregal.”
As the words left my mouth, I focused on her reaction, trying to read in her wide eyes if she was going to squeal again or bolt from the room. When she didn’t do either but continued to stare at me with a dumbfounded expression plastered to her face, I readied myself to run for the door to escape this torment because I didn’t know what quiet meant.
Chrissa finally snapped herself out of the st
aring trance she was in, blinking several times at me. “You’re a weregal?” Her voice was breathless and for a moment I thought she might pass out from shock. Her face had gone ashen, but as I answered, pink began to line her cheeks again.
“Yes, but I didn’t know until I met Kev and he told me. None of my family ever said what my dad was, not even my mom. I was afraid to tell anyone at first because you know how bad it will be if they find out. I was scared, I still am, but you’re my friend, Chrissa, and you didn’t tell on Kev.”
“You never knew?”
“Never.”
“Hmm.”
She went back to absently eating her ice cream as she thought. Still too nervous to start eating mine, I picked it back up, stabbing it with my spoon to keep my shaky hands busy. While she sat as silent as I’d ever seen her, I glanced around the room, seeing things but not really noticing them.
When the beginnings of Chrissa’s usual smile started to creep across her lips, I knew I was in the clear and let out the breath I’d been unaware I was holding. That smile did as much to release my building tension as Kev’s scent did, which at the moment was saying something.
“You do realize that we’re going to the Halloween party as tigers, right? How ironic is that? Or did you know when you suggested it?”
“Nope. I found out after that.”
Relief washed over me enough that I was able to stuff a large spoonful of ice cream in my mouth. It tasted as divine as it smelled.
“No way. Oh, this is too awesome! Who else in the world has a weregal as their best friend?” She squealed again, this time louder.
“Chrissa, cut that out.” This time, I’d anticipated the squeal, but covering my ears had proven to be difficult since one hand held my ice cream container and the other a spoon. It wasn’t effective.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Does it hurt your ears? Wait, do you have super amazing hearing and all the bells and whistles like animals do?”
“Not exactly.”
Between bites, I started to explain the differences between myself and other weregals, such as my inability to hear and see as well as they could. Before I could explain about my ability to smell, she’d gasped and beat me to it. Then I told her everything Kev had told me about weregals.
“Do you change into a cat?”
“Not yet. Kev said we usually do when we reach puberty, but that sometimes it happens late. I guess I’m late.” My shoulders shrugged as I nibbled at my ice cream.
“That’s so awesome.”
“Not really. I guess the first time you change it takes days, and it’s extremely painful.”
“Well, that stinks.”
She set her empty ice cream container on her nightstand and began dipping Oreos into the peanut butter. It looked delicious, but I couldn’t stop staring at her. She was thin as a rail. Where did she put it all?
“Yeah, but even if it weren’t painful, I’d still be hesitant. Turning into an animal is weird.”
“I suppose. So Kev’s looking for a weregal female, and you just happen to fit the part, huh?”
“It’s not like that,” I told her as I dug the last bits of ice cream from the bottom of the container. This was a lot of sugar, even for me. Instead of moving to the Oreos, I started on the popcorn. “Kev said that the males have this instinct that tells them if a female would be a good mate for them. The stronger the instinct, the better a mate she will be and the more likely he is to convince her to be his mate.”
“So, then he’s got this instinct telling him you’d be a good mate?”
I shook my head. There was no way around it. She was going to freak no matter how I said it. I accepted that and moved on. “It’s telling him I’m the only mate for him.”
“Seriously? So he’s not interested in any other girls?”
“Not in the least, or so he tells me.”
“Oh girl, I am so jealous of you right now! We haven’t even graduated from high school yet, and you’ve found your soul mate. A really hot soul mate. I mean seriously, that guy has some serious muscles hidden under that jacket.” Chrissa popped another Oreo in her mouth. “Mmm, mmm, that boy is yummy.”
My hand stilled over the popcorn bowl as my body stiffened and my eyes flicked to her. I’d just told her that he was mine, yet she was drooling over his muscles and how hot he was right in front of me. Who knew what else she was thinking about my mate?
A low rumble began in my chest. The sound passed from my throat and through gritted teeth to escape between my lips. Chrissa’s eyes bugged out, and the fear in them stalled the noise coming from me. Her next cookie hung in the air in front of her.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” My heart pounded as I stared into her stunned face. If she were going to run from me, now would be the time.
“Did you just growl at me?”
“Yes. I don’t know why I do it. It just happens.”
“Have you growled before?”
My appetite was gone, and the ice cream in my stomach was curdling, but I grabbed a few pieces of popcorn to keep my hands busy.
“The first time was when you hugged Kev before we went to the library. It took me by surprise, and I didn’t know what to do. I coughed to hide it. That’s been the only other time.”
“Both with me?”
“You’re the only other person besides Kev who I hang out with. The odds are kinda stacked against you.”
“And it just happens?” I nodded. “Hmm, okay well here’s the thing. He’s not my type, and I think you know that. Obviously, some cat trait is causing this, so I’ll make it easy on both of us, and I won’t touch the boy again, and I’ll keep my thoughts to myself about his looks. Really, Joey, he is good looking, but I’m not attracted to him. His hair’s too long, and he’s too tall.”
“I like a guy with a ponytail.” I ducked my head to keep the flush I knew was present from being seen.
“Then he’s all yours, honey. So what else do you like about him? As your best friend you have to tell me.”
I blushed more and kept my face down. Sharing my private feelings for a boy with anyone but Mom was going to take some getting used to. “I don’t know. He’s always there when I need him, or even when I don’t. It makes me feel safe.” Laughter bubbled inside me. “When he doesn’t understand something he gets this cute, confused look on his face. He tugs his lip when he’s thinking, which is plain ol’ sexy. And his eyes…his eyes are beautiful.”
“They’re black.”
“I know they’re black, but there’s so much emotion in them that they seem to go on forever.”
“That must be a weregal thing because I only see black. He’s got to smile or frown for me to see any emotion.”
“Oh.”
“Joey, you’re weird, but I like it.”
“Thanks, I think.”
For the next hour, Chrissa continued to interrogate me about weregals and, more specifically, Kev. She was as shocked as I’d been that Kev was sixty-five. I rolled my eyes when she muttered under her breath. It had been something about “robbing the cradle”.
As we continued to talk, the conversation moved to school and the different assignments we had, and who was dating who and other interesting gossip. I wasn’t one for gossiping, but Chrissa knew it all. I didn’t bother to listen to it since there were other things I was concerned about. Trivial things like the dating life of the whole school had become unimportant since realizing my very life could be in danger.
Gayle came up to let us know dinner was ready, but neither one of us were hungry after eating a pint of ice cream and a bowl of popcorn. We were still working on the Oreos. After she had left, we turned on Chrissa’s TV and watched some Sci-Fi movie neither one of us had seen before. It was okay and kept us entertained.
For a brief few minutes I considered telling her about Angus, but a warning from my gut kept me from spilling the beans on him. If he showed up again, I’d tell Kev, and since I wasn’t nearly as scared of him as I was my stalker, there
was no reason to say a word. Plus he’d said nothing useful to me when we’d met. Except that he was Milly’s son. That really wasn’t useful.
It was dark by the time I said it was time to go. Gram would start to worry soon, and I’d promised to be back at a reasonable hour. After saying goodbye to Chrissa’s parents, and swiping a pepperoni roll from the kitchen, we made our way out the front door.
“So one of these days you need to come over to my house and meet Gram and Aunt Gwen,” I told her as we stepped out onto the front porch and headed toward the car. “Maybe sometime this week you can come over for dinner. How about Thursday?”
“Sure, that sounds great. I can take you home from school, so your grandma doesn’t have to. And it’s about time you invited me over to your place.”
“Hey,” I screeched at her as she laughed and unlocked the car doors. “Today was the first day I’ve ever been to your place, thank you very much.”
“True, true.”
We were climbing into the car when the smell of mint drifted past me on the breeze, and a lone figure stepped from the woods up the street into the light of the street lamps and started walking toward us. I recognized his strut instantly.
“Hey, Chrissa, you mind another passenger? You were right.”
“That he won’t let you out of his sight? Yeah, I’m always right about that. Get in. We’ll go pick him up,” She hopped in the car, and I followed suit, buckling quickly as she started the car and accelerated.
Kev stepped off the road to avoid Chrissa’s oncoming car. As we pulled up beside him, I rolled my window down.
“Hop in, stranger.”
His warm smile made my gut twist as he leaned his head through the window and planted a kiss on the tip of my nose. My heart raced as he pulled away and opened the back door to slide in. We had to wait for Chrissa to stop her hysterical laughter before we could continue our journey home. I didn’t know which one I wanted to slap more, the cat for causing the laughter or the girl for laughing.
When we pulled into my driveway, Kev and I said our goodbyes to Chrissa as we got out of the car and she left.
“How was your night?” he asked me as we walked toward the house.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t hear the whole thing.”
His answering smile showed his bright, white teeth. He brought his hand up to caress my cheek with his fingertips as he answered. Instead of listening I wanted to lean into his touch, but he pulled his hand away as he spoke.
“The stuff at the end was boring, and that noise coming from her room after you stopped talking was obnoxious. The talking at the beginning was priceless, though, and I would have given anything to have seen your face. You were brave for telling her about what you are. I admire that in you.”
I ducked my head to hide my shy smile and warm cheeks. I wished I’d stop reacting to him like that. He was a typical man, and yes I was attracted to him, but I wasn’t supposed to react like that.
“So you were eavesdropping?”
He groaned, and I knew he didn’t know the word. “I wasn’t trying to listen if that’s what you mean. I wanted to give you space. It’s just hard when I hear so much, and I can’t help but concentrate on you. When you told her about yourself, I was listening to be sure you wouldn’t need me. When you started talking about us, I tried to listen to the neighbor’s argument. It wasn’t much better than that noise you were listening to.”
“Tried to listen?”
“As I said, it was boring. By the time I came back to you two, you were finishing up. I did hear that you like my hair, though, oh, and my eyes.”
He turned his eyes on me as we reached the door, and the outside light shone bright, illuminating the depth in the blackness of each eye. They were teasing me, loving me and full of admiration. I’d never thought someone could feel this way about me, and it was scary, yet comforting at the same time. Then he blinked, and it was over.
His eyes hadn’t pulled me in this time, for which I was grateful, but it had still been intense. Wrapping my arms around him, we hugged until I felt the cold air tingling at my fingertip. Then I pulled back to say my goodnights. I instantly regretted not running my fingers through his ponytail while I’d been close enough to touch it. Kicking myself mentally, I smiled up at him.
“I’d better get inside. They’re probably watching for us.”
“Gram peeked out the window to make sure it was us here. Then she went back to whatever it is she’s doing to give us privacy.”
“Sometimes it’s creepy you know all this.”
He chuckled as he reached for the door to open it for me. “Good night, Joey. Sleep well.”
“Good night, Kev.”
Before he could, I wrapped an arm around his neck, pulled myself up on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. His shocked expression was the last thing I had seen before I scampered into the house.
