by Nicole Thorn
“What did you see?” Juniper asked.
Jasmine sighed and said, “Well… I saw Zander playing with a puppy. Not like a normal puppy. It was kinda blurry and indistinct, but there was something wrong with the puppy’s head. It was like really big and one half seemed to go up, while the other side stayed down. I’m not sure what to make of it. Maybe when he touched me, something short circuited in my head and it wasn’t a vision, but a hallucination.”
“That’s weird,” Juniper said. “Especially since I will never, ever, allow a puppy into this house. Do you hear me, Jazz? No puppies. Ever. Ever.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Yes, dearest sister. I get you. You’re a puppy hater and always have been.”
They started bickering and I started wondering if I could get back to my tree sculptures. Jasmine rolled her eyes and looked back at me. “Since we were interrupted, we didn’t really get a good vision.”
“That’s true,” I said, pulling my headphones off completely and setting them on the table, along with my clay stained iPod. It looked a little sad, but it still worked and that’s all I cared about. “In hindsight, we probably should have warned them what was going to happen. If they had been prepared, then maybe they wouldn’t have pulled us up short.”
“Or they wouldn’t have let us do it to begin with,” Juniper said. “Let’s face it. We’re human. They’re demigods. If they don’t want us to do something, chances are pretty good that we aren’t going to do be doing it.”
I couldn’t argue with that kind of logic. Not after watching Kezia trap my ex in a cage of sticks and branches. After destroying an entire art show, because said ex was being a little nasty. Not to mention, she kept threatening to turn me into a tree. I’d dislike being a tree. I’d have to be outside all the time.
“Well, they’re not up right now,” Jasmine said. “Sure, we might catch hell for it later, but we could just try again and see where that gets us. Maybe I could get more than some muzzy images of Zander playing with a whacked out puppy and maybe you could figure out where the Furies are?”
Juniper grew thoughtful. “Well, I don’t really see the harm. We go out to the backyard, so they don’t hear me talking. We just have to get some towels before doing so. I don’t want to get grass stains on my shirt,” she said, rubbing her hands down the white fabric. It was one of her more expensive and comfortable shirts, so she really wouldn’t want it stained.
They looked at me. I shrugged. “Sure. Let me get cleaned up and then we can—”
The garage door swung open so hard, that it created a draft. “No!” Zander said, shaking his head violently and marched into the room. He kept making slashing motions with his hands. “Absolutely not. No, no, no and just to make sure the three of you are listening, no! You are not doing that again. Not while I’m around and not while Kizzy is around, understand?”
“How long have you been listening?” Juniper asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously, with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Long enough,” Zander said, matching her posture. He lost something due to his pajamas, but he was larger than life and that more than made up for it. His glower wasn’t half bad either. “I don’t know why the three of you are so hell bent on self-destructing, but it’s not happening on my watch.”
Jasmine stood up. “But it could h—”
“No!” he said. He leaned forward and suddenly my sister was airborne. She squeaked in surprise and then grunted when she landed stomach first on his shoulder. She immediately began squirming and kicking her legs, all without seeming effect on Zander.
“What are you doing?!” She demanded when he turned around and started walking away. “I will have you know that when I get revenge it will be painful, but I need to know what I’m getting revenge for?!”
“Simple,” Zander said. “I figure you can’t do that idiotic group vision thing if one of the group is not there. So, you and I are going to go upstairs and have a little chat while I get dressed.”
“What, I’m supposed to see you naked?” Jasmine asked.
“If it comes to that.”
“You aren’t supposed to reward someone while trying to punish them,” she informed him.
Juniper groaned at the same time I said, “You’re not allowed to leave you room ever again!” Then the two of them left the garage and disappeared. I sighed and looked down at my sculpture. Suddenly, I really wanted to shower and maybe go for a walk. It was too much stress.
Juniper and I left the garage. I was halfway upstairs when I heard Kezia’s voice. She was talking to Zander; I think trying to pin down why Jasmine was thrown over his shoulder. I hurried up the rest of the stairs and got into my room before she emerged from his. If he told her, I could only imagine she would be very upset.
In my room, I shirked my clay stained shirt and pants. Normally, I would just pull on another outfit, but I could feel chunks of clay in my hair and it was bothering me. It must have gone in damp and dried. I grabbed my comb and started yanking it through my hair, ignoring the little pebbles that fell out and hit the floor. I’d vacuum that up later. I was almost done when the bedroom door flew open and Kezia stormed in.
“You were going to try again!?” she shouted and I didn’t have to ask what she was talking about. Which was good, since I found myself just staring at her while she yelled at me. “Why would you do that?!” she demanded. “After what happened yesterday! You were convulsing on the floor, Jasper. You lost consciousness. Do you realize how badly that could have ended? It’s not worth finding the Furies, or knowing what our future is right now. We’ll figure it out some other way, but you are going to promise me right now that you will not, ever, do what you did yesterday again! Do you understand me?”
I just stared at her. Her words registered on one level. On all other levels, I was just staring at her. She was… Um… Wow, I didn’t realize that her in clothing could be better than her naked. She was wearing shorts with rainbow suspenders, but one was off her shoulder, while the other was done perfectly. Under the suspenders was a white shirt that hugged her breasts in a marvelous way that I’m not even sure she was aware of. She had on knee socks too. One was green with black polka dots and the other was yellow and purple stripes. To top it all off, her hair was done in pigtails.
I really badly wanted to do things to her.
When I didn’t say anything for another few seconds, she seemed to finally realize that I was just in my boxers. Her eyes swept down and her cheeks got really red. I angled myself away from her, so she wouldn’t notice that the front of those boxers weren’t lying flat. That would be… bad. Marvelous. I’m not even sure anymore.
I set my comb down. My voice was very husky when I talked. “I like your outfit.”
“What?” she asked, looking down. Her cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink. “Oh. Uh… Thank you. Your sister made me put it on before I could come and yell at you. I only did it, so that I could yell at her too. You’re, uh…”
“In my boxers,” I said. “If you’re willing to wait outside, I’ll finish getting dressed.”
“No,” Kezia said. Her face turned redder. “Not because I, uh, want to see you, uh, in your boxers… or anything… but because you haven’t promised me that you won’t do that stupid thing again. I’m not leaving until I get the promise.”
She crossed her arms over her chest (which did wonderful things for her breasts and I had to focus really hard not to watch those wonderful things) and glared at me. Her glare was only hindered slightly by the fact that she was having trouble looking me in the eye. The only question was, was it because of this awkward moment or last night’s awkward moment?
Not sure it mattered. I had to get her out of my room before I tried something that she wasn’t ready for. Like sticking my tongue down her throat, while one of my hands creeped up the shirt so poorly concealing her breasts. “Kezia, I promise that I will not do that stupid thing, ever again.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Good,” she said. There was a
nother pause, this one longer than all the others, then she stepped out and closed the door behind her. We really needed to learn how to knock.
I rubbed my face, suddenly feeling very tired. Now I had two images of Kezia knocking around in my head. I pulled on a t-shirt and then jeans. Going back downstairs was harder than it should have been. I kept thinking that if I saw Kezia, there was a good chance that I would pin her to a wall and then proceed to do things. With my tongue and my hands. You know, things that made her pant and cling to me.
Fun things.
Then I saw her again and knew I should have stayed upstairs. She was so very gorgeous. She looked over at me when I came down. She marched right up to me and thrust a plate of toast into my hands. I took a bite, despite the fact that I wasn’t hungry. That seemed to satisfy her. She marched away again.
I had finished one piece of bread and was picking at the other, when the doorbell rang. Juniper hopped up to get it and the second it swung open, I heard her groan. Loudly. “What are you doing here, Mrs. Bogeyman?”
I slumped in my seat. Celeste was here.
I heard her laugh and then she was in the house. “So silly, Juni,” she said, her voice dripping honey. “I came to see Jasper. I wanted to make sure he was okay after that horrible incident at my show. It’s terrible really. I lost so many paintings and the gallery might not invite my back and my insurance won’t pay for it.” She sighed, dramatically and then she was in the kitchen.
“Jasper!” she said, rushing over. I did my best not to recoil, but my best wasn’t good enough.
Kezia came into the room. She had gone upstairs to grab something. Her eyes narrowed on Celeste, but my eyes were all over her. I couldn’t even say why she looked so cute in that outfit, or why I wanted to pin her to something sturdy until she was panting and begging. All I know is that the urge was very strong.
“What are you doing here?” Kezia asked.
Jasmine rolled her eyes. “She’s flirting shamelessly and trying to spin her nice little web around Jasper again.”
Celeste’s smile turned brittle. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just came by to see my friends. All of you are my friends,” she said, injecting just a little bit of hurt into the words. She should know better than to use that on my sisters. They’ve hated her ever since we broke up.
“I’ll be right back,” Kezia said, her voice low enough that I could barely hear her.
“Where are you going, Kizzy?” Celeste demanded, smiling at her. She sidled up to me, but I was already out of my seat. I set my half eaten breakfast on the counter and followed Kezia, really without even noticing what I was doing. Knowing only that I wanted to watch her the entire time she was in that outfit.
She turned around halfway down the hall, as if only then realizing that she was being followed. “Jasper…” she said, softly.
“Hey. Where’re you going?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just didn’t want to be around her… You can go back, though. You don’t have to keep me company.”
I smiled. “You’re being silly again,” I told her. “C’mon, I actually have something I meant to show you yesterday, before all the hoopla started.” She smiled at me. My first instinct was to take her hand, but I didn’t think that would be welcome, so I squashed it and led her to the backyard.
The two of us stepped outside. There was a light drizzle, but our porch was covered. I grabbed the two giant pots that Juniper and brought back from the store yesterday from around the side yard. Getting wet in the process, but I didn’t mind. I set both of them down on the dry porch and then went back for the dirt that was around the corner as well.
Kezia was smiling before I got back. She had upended one of the pots, draining the water into the mud. I set the bag down and wiped my hands off on my pants. “Juniper and I got them yesterday. We figured you might want something to play with that Juniper can handle you playing with. Our backyard is empty and all but…” I shrugged. “You know?” I hoped she did, because I wasn’t sure I could explain to her.
Kezia nodded. “I know,” she said, still smiling. “And thank you.” That’s when her eyes turned greedy. She grabbed the soil bag and dumped half of the contents into one of the pots and the other got emptied into the second one. Somehow, she managed do this with getting almost no dirt on her outfit. I just picked the thing up and my shirt was smudged. Good thing I didn’t care about getting dirty.
Kneeling down next to the pots, she grinned up at me. “Are you sure you don’t want to go entertain the dragon lady?” she asked.
I shook my head. “My sisters will probably have driven her off before we get back in there. If not, then she isn’t going anywhere until she absolutely has to. So I might as well stay out here with you.”
Kezia grinned again. Little buds appeared in of the pots. I watched as sprigs of flowers and leaves shot out of the dirt and spilled over the sides. Kezia ran her fingers along the deep red flowers until they started to sprout wildly. Growing and growing, overtaking the pot they were in.
“What are they?” I asked.
“Amaranth,” she said, still focused on the flowers.
“They’re pretty, but now what are you going to do with only one pot?”
She grinned at me.
16: Love Lies Bleeding
Kezia
The flowers were lovely. I planted some dahlias and made them all kinds of unnatural colors. After I was done, I sat with Jasper against the wall. The rain picked up just a little and it left a bite in the air. I curled my legs up to my body and leaned against Jasper.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“I’m okay.” I moved closer to him, trying to will his arm to come around me. It did not work. Too bad, because he was very warm.
Jasper picked up the end of one of my pigtails and started playing with it. Just curling it around his finger. “You should wear your hair like this more. It’s adorable.”
I blushed and looked straight ahead. “Thanks.” I fidgeted with the shirt I was wearing. It was much tighter than I’d worn in more years than I could remember. I was so willing to throw this outfit on and I wasn’t sure why. Jasmine said Jasper would think it was cute and the need for validation came back to me. So here I sat, in the most revealing outfit I’d been in since I was a kid. I felt exposed, but this was supposed to be healthy. Baby steps and all that. First I couldn’t wear normal clothes and maybe in a hundred years, I could make eye contact with a person for longer than a few seconds. Or I could sleep with my door opened. Or take a bath. Get the guts to just put the damn boy’s arm around me. But Jasper would be long gone by then…
The curse of being immortal. I didn’t think I deserved to get better, but I might one day change my mind with enough prompting from Zander. The person I was most comfortable around other than him would be dead before I was better. Jasper wouldn’t ever get to see me being okay. That hurt for so many more reasons than I understood.
So I put his arm around me. I wanted to not be afraid for a little while. To be normal. He didn’t seem to understand what I was doing until it was done. His arm was around my waist and his hand on my ribs. It was fine. I just hoped it would last.
He was the one to scoot closer to me, then half of my body was against his. “I just wanna make sure you don’t get cold,” he said.
“We could go inside.”
“Yes, but it’s just you and me out here.”
I turned a little so that I was still cuddled up to him, but I could see his face. Then I smiled. “How did you manage to get dirt on your face?”
As I was brushing it off of his cheek, he said, “Because your talents to stay clean surpass mine.”
“You’re much better than me at the important stuff, sweetheart.”
He smiled at the same time his eyes did a sweep of me. “You keep calling me that.”
My blush deepened. “You are a sweetheart. There’s not an impure thought in your head.”
“I wouldn�
�t say that…”
My eyebrows pushed together. “What?”
He shrugged as his fingers tightened on me. “I just mean that I’m a normal guy. I think about things.”
“What are you talking about?”
He took a few seconds and it worried me. “I just don’t want you to think I’m something I’m not.”
“I’m really not sure what you’re trying to say.”
He scratched the side of his head. “You see me as something else than I am, I think. I don’t want to disappoint you.”
I smiled again. “You can’t disappoint me.” How could he? He was nice and gentle and like no one I’d ever met. I couldn’t think of a thing he could do to disappoint me.
Then a noise ruined everything. I watched Celeste march into the backyard and see Jasper and I on the ground.
She was smirking. “What in the world are you doing on the dirty ground in the rain?”
Jasper seemed put out. “We were doing something.”
“Well come inside already. I miss you.”
Something pushed through my head and I think I knew what it felt like to be a lion. Someone was moving in on my territory. I didn’t know why I was doing it, but I knew how to do it.
It didn’t feel like I was doing it. And I wasn’t quite sure why it was my chosen method of getting rid of Celeste, but everything in my body was telling me what to do and how to do it. My hand found Jasper’s on my side. I laid my own hand over his, holding it to the top of my ribs. His thumb was pressing to the bottom of my breast and I hoped he didn’t mind it. I didn’t, but I wasn’t aware enough for it to register.
“Really.” I smiled like a beauty queen. She liked games, so I would play. I would use everything I had. Every ability to lie to those around me, to pretend I was well. I would seek and destroy. “We were in the middle of something. Can you just let us finish up?”
She had to know what I was doing. She wasn’t stupid. At all. She was very smart in her own way. Not smart enough to call it for what this was. Her desperate attempt to get back something she tossed away.