“Don't say from Mom.” Fire flashed in Bobby's eyes, warning Jade not to push him.
Jade threw up her hands in exasperation. It felt good to scream and shout. “Why not?”
“Because the way you yell and nag…” Bobby paused and looked at the crowd, like he wasn't sure he wanted to finish the sentence.
Jade's stomach jumped into her throat. “Yeah?”
Bobby clenched his jaw. “You remind me of her.” He took off into the crowd.
Shock held Jade to the spot she was standing. The band continued to play and the patrons continued to sing and dance, but Jade felt like she was falling down a deep well. Bobby had hit a nerve that hurt her in the worst way possible.
Was she becoming her mother? Was she becoming the abrasive and controlling person that was ever-present in her life? It was her worst nightmare, and if it was true, she needed to escape. Jade pushed away from the bar and headed toward the back door.
Zander took his time washing and drying his hands. He added music halls to the list of hang out spots that weren't his scene. Watching the guys from high school hovering around circles of dancing women was so brain damaging that he felt his own intelligence level dip.
Vicki was acting the strangest of all of them. At one point, she joined the band on stage, sharing the microphone with the lead singer. It was a cry for attention, and Zander wasn’t sure he cared for it.
At least Rayley had loosened up and started to have fun. When Zander started to walk away, a guy in a slick suit offered to buy her a drink. Zander stayed long enough to make sure he didn't put anything extra in her drink, and then he excused himself and headed to the men's restroom.
After one final glance at his reflection in the mirror, he stepped out of the restroom. Walking down the corridor back to the hall, he told himself he could endure another hour of hometown drivel. He took a deep breath, and a strange cowering figure caught him by surprise. Two paces closer, he realized it was Jade Miller collapsed against the opposite wall. Her arms cradled her head between her knees.
“Jade?” A pang of concern pierced Zander’s chest as he leaned down next to her. He hadn't expected to run into her. It had been years since their last encounter, but the old feelings washed over him like a day had barely passed.
Jade didn’t register anyone had approached her. She rocked herself back and forth and mumbled, “No, no, no.”
Zander pried Jade's hands away from her face. She was clammy and pale. “What's wrong?”
Jade's red eyes darted around the empty hallway. “Do you hear them?” She asked. The panic attack had so thoroughly wracked her body that Zander could have been anyone. She was afraid, but of what, he didn’t know.
Jade had been reeling from the conversation with her brother when the voices started screaming. Their sudden shouts for help had pinned her to the wall. She couldn’t see them, but it sounded like they were right in front of her, like there was only a thin veil between her and these people desperate to escape. She couldn't move for fear of being attacked by whoever the voices were coming from.
This was different from the spots and shadows that usually tormented her. She could ignore the shadows by closing her eyes, but the shouts frightened her. Their screams of agony cut through to her core.
“Hear them?” Zander narrowed his eyes. The band was playing an eighties cover song with synthesizer riffs at maximum volume. It was a miracle that he could hear Jade speak.
Jade put her head back in the nook of her elbow and began rocking again. She wanted them to stop yelling at her.
Zander remained crouched in front of her. Something was tormenting Jade, and he wasn't going to let her suffer. If she thought there was something to hear, then he would listen.
Zander closed his eyes and concentrated. To his surprise, the sound of the band dimmed, and in its place were anguished voices. They echoed, like they were down a long alley, but when he scanned the hallway again, it was empty. He frowned. “I hear them,” he told Jade.
She stopped rocking and lifted her head. “You do?” Relief flooded Jade's body. Her vision focused and she recognized Zander Stein.
Zander nodded. “Where are they coming from?”
“I don't know.” Jade focused on Zander's brown eyes, feeling centered.
“Is this the first time you've heard them?” He asked the question like he was gathering facts, not like he thought she was crazy.
Jade nodded her head, keeping her eyes locked on his. The voices were receding. His presence was enough to still her pounding heart and bring her back to earth.
Moments later, the doorman was by their side. “You need to get out of here,” he said to Jade. Carl cursed under his breath as he headed into the shadowed hall in the direction of the voices. This wasn’t a crossing zone, and they were too early. The Rogues were only drawing attention to themselves. If the PMI authorities found out, they wouldn’t be happy. He needed to protect the music hall if he wanted to keep his job.
Zander held out his hand. “Come on, let's head back before people think we're up to something.”
The voices were faint now. Jade put her hand in Zander's and allowed him to walk her back to the main room. Back at the bar, Zander offered Jade a seat and climbed on to the stool next to her.
The band was still playing, but the crowd was thinning. Only the hardcore party goers were still dancing. Jade wondered where the doorman had gone. Had he heard the voices, too? Should she go back and ask him where they came from? She was dying for answers.
As Jade gained back her color, Zander felt old emotions bubble to the surface. It was as if Jade was a shining beacon in the middle of the dark music hall. He couldn't look away.
She unraveled him. He had built up his confidence over the last three years, but after spending ten minutes with Jade, he was back in high school. She was the beautiful perfect being, and he was the bumbling dork.
Zander attempted a small smile. “Is it odd that every time we run into each other, something strange occurs?”
Jade didn't return the smile. “Strange things always happen around me.”
It was the first time she had admitted the fact out loud. She usually kept her crazy talk to herself, but every time she saw Zander, it slipped out. Jade took a deep breath because it felt good to say the truth. She felt lighter without carrying the secret that she thought she was insane. No one had any idea how many secrets she actually kept.
If Zander felt like a bumbling dork, Jade didn't see it. She only felt his composure and tolerance, letting her be free and open, just the way she was. She didn't have to put on an act or fake composure.
The moment alone was broken by Rayley. “Hey, Zander, sorry to interrupt. I think we may need to pry them apart.” Rayley pointed to a couple on the dance floor. Bobby and Vicki were attached at the lips and every body part possible.
Jade watched the dancing couple, recognizing Marcus’s dancing beauty, who was now grinding against Bobby’s thigh. Bobby swayed in a way that made it obvious to Jade that he was more than a few beers deep. She would have saved him from embarrassment, but she remembered his searing words earlier in the night and decided against it.
Zander’s reaction was much different. He hopped off the stool and marched on to the dance floor. He would look out for Vicki, even if she was asking for trouble. He tapped her on the shoulder, hoping the interruption would be enough to break the couple apart. “It's time to go.”
Vicki began pulling away, but Bobby pulled her closer. She giggled as he kissed the side of her neck.
Zander tapped Bobby on the shoulder. “Hey, man. Sorry to butt in, but I think the night's over. The band said this was their last song, and the bartender announced last call.”
“Chill out, Zander,” Vicki said. The buzz from the alcohol had lowered her inhibitions, and she enjoyed Bobby’s attention. They had been in the same class at Woodpine High School, and Bobby had never given her a second glance. His roaming hands were a shot of adrenaline.
“I
think your parents will be peeved if I don't bring you home at a reasonable hour.”
“Maybe I won't go home at all.” Vicki winked at Bobby.
“Real mature, Vic. You really know how to win an argument,” Zander said, shaking his head.
“What's your problem?” Bobby asked. His vision was blurring, but the alcohol and his sex drive were dulling the voice in his head that screamed there was something wrong with him.
“I don't have a problem. I'm just protecting my friend from making a bad decision. She's feeling lonely, and you're a handsy drunk—”
With impossible speed for someone who drank as many beers as Bobby did, he wound up his fist to throw a punch at Zander. Lucky for Zander, Marcus had appeared between them, like he had been waiting in the wings for Bobby to hit rock bottom.
“All right, buddy.” Marcus blocked Bobby's punch and attempted to drag Bobby away. He had watched Bobby flirt with girls all night, but there was something about Bobby toying with this girl that got under his skin.
Even in his inebriated state, Bobby was stronger than Marcus and barreled past his cousin. “I'll tell you when it’s time to go,” he barked at Zander. His slurred words gave away just how drunk he was.
Jade was angry with her brother, but she didn't like the idea of bailing him out of jail. In fact, as much as her brother's words hurt her, she would never stop looking out for him. Jade, Marcus and Bobby shared the bond of family, no matter how intolerable being a part of that family was.
Jade pushed between Marcus and Bobby and asked, “How about a slice of pizza?” Zander, Jade and Marcus watched the couple, preparing to splash cold water on another outburst.
Vicki popped one sequinned hip and said, “Sounds good to me.” To the group's relief, Vicki's consent was enough to calm Bobby.
Without any other hiccups, the assorted group stepped out of Murphy's and into a snowy November night. Jade looked for the doorman, but he was nowhere to be found. Bobby wrapped his arm around Vicki, and she nestled in the curve of his body. Despite the snowflakes sticking to her hair and the goosebumps covering her from head to toe, she seemed content.
Rayley walked along Vicki's other side, keeping pace with the couple and an eye on her best friend's latest conquest. She accepted the fact that being friends with Vicki sometimes meant agreeing to bizarre plans and other times meant ensuring Vicki didn’t get hurt.
Marcus walked a step behind the trio. He was close enough to butt in if he had to, but he was not really a part of the group. That seemed to be his lot in life. He was beginning to realize that as long as he hung around with his cousin Bobby, his only role would be that of lion tamer.
It had never mattered in the past that he was the third wheel with his cousins. He was grateful to have people that treated him like he was just another guy and not a freak who saw things no one else did. Until now, he had no reason to alter his status with his cousins. But now… Why did Bobby have to go after her? Why did Bobby have to pick the sparkling brunette?
Jade and Zander brought up the rear. They were at ease with each other. They both knew part of that comfort was because the voices were gone, but neither of them admitted it out loud.
“I'm sorry I caused a scene with your brother,” Zander said.
“Trust me, I've seen worse.” Jade looked at him from the corner of her eye with the hint of a smile on her lips. “Did you think you could rationalize your way out of a fight?”
Zander looked taken aback. “I've won many arguments by brute intelligence.”
Jade’s smile widened. “You were always the best debater in social studies class.” Zander's chest filled with pride that she remembered.
Jade couldn't believe how open she was with Zander. He didn't judge her or expect anything from her. There was no need to maintain the facade she kept up for everyone else.
The group walked into Lorenzo's Pizzeria and was greeted by the smell of fresh tomato sauce and garlic. The place was almost empty, but a mustached Lorenzo stayed open for the late-night party-goers on Thanksgiving Eve. Standing at the oven, Lorenzo eyed Bobby's unstable footing.
Lorenzo kept a dark secret: he was a Rogue from the Isle of the Lost. In a world that lacked warmth, he had lived in more small towns than he cared to remember, sleeping in barns in Zone Feather, factory corners in Zone Wool and coal mines in Zone Black.
He knew escaping the Isle of the Lost meant he would always be a fugitive, but he’d had to get out. With the help of a selfless Rogue and a little luck, Lorenzo left on All Shadows Eve many years ago. He had come to the Land of the Free as a poor, orphaned child.
After being on the run and scared even to turn corners for fear that someone would catch him, Lorenzo had decided enough time had passed, and put down roots in Woodpine. Even though he covered his tracks, his tumultuous past forced him to stay vigilant.
Fearing that the PMI would haunt him, he never married and never had children. Instead, he took delight and pride in the children of Woodpine as they grew. Despite all the obstacles he faced, he made it to the ripe age of fifty-five. He had the receding hairline and beer belly to prove it.
A long life didn’t stop Lorenzo from worrying about the Miller children. He knew their mother’s secret and it kept him up at night, but the presence of straight-laced Zander and Rayley Stein by the children’s side gave him comfort.
Marcus headed to the cashier to order a pizza. Vicki, Bobby and Rayley headed to a four-person booth in the corner. Rayley worried about her best friend, who stared at Bobby with love-struck eyes. Rayley understood Vicki’s excitement about grabbing the attention of the most popular guy in their grade, but they were no longer in high school. Bobby burped, Vicki giggled, and Rayley cringed.
Zander and Jade sat in the window booth across from them. Jade rested her chin on her hand and stared out the window at the fresh snow. It covered the cold world with a clean white blanket, masking the dirt in the street and the grime on the sidewalk.
Her personal worries and insecurities clouded her thoughts once again. This was the most combative and jarring the strange occurrences had ever been. If her mother didn't explain everything soon, she was going to lose it. She couldn't run away from being a Miller. She needed answers!
Zander watched Jade just as he had many times before. In the past, she wore a cheery coat of armor. It kept people from asking questions. Tonight, she wasn't even hiding her despair. He was worried about the raw layer of her soul that she exposed.
He couldn't get the sounds of desperate calls from unknown voices or the eye floaters and shadows out of his head. She had said odd occurrences happened around her. He debated asking her for details, but he didn't want to further upset her.
Recognizing the empty space between them, Jade fastened on the polite mask she wore throughout high school and turned to Zander. “What are your plans for after graduation?”
Zander didn't miss the change in her countenance. He wasn't sure which version of her made him feel worse. “Law school.” The answer came without a moment of deliberation. He was a planner and law school was next.
His answer stabbed like a knife into her stomach. It felt like everyone knew what came next, except for her.
Zander saw right through Jade's smile. He had said something dumb. The longer he stared into her blue eyes, the faster he receded into his old self. He hurried to move the conversation forward. “What's next for you?”
Jade bit her lip. She thought about her mother's promise and made her decision. “I'm going to stay at my mom’s house and stick around Woodpine for now.” Jade felt the weight of her decision bear down on her shoulders. She wanted to curl into a ball and cry, even if she believed it was the right decision.
Marcus's guffaw interrupted their conversation. Bobby's head was on the table. He was fast asleep. Jade was embarrassed by her brother, but just then the pizza was served. They all ate with eager appetites. When the last slice was gone and the chatter had slowed down, Jade looked at the other table.
“We should take him home.” Jade rose from the bench seat as Bobby snored.
“I'll take these ladies home”—Marcus motioned to Vicki and Rayley—“if you guys take the sleeping lion.”
Zander wasn’t comfortable with the decision. It didn't make sense to leave Vicki and Rayley, but if it meant extra time with Jade… “Okay.”
Marcus helped Zander get Bobby in to the backseat of Zander's car. Jade climbed into the passenger seat. When Zander pulled into the Miller’s driveway, neither one of them moved.
“I'm sorry for the way my brother acted with your sister’s friend. He's dealing with stress, and I think this is his way of coping,” Jade said. She admired the way Zander protected his sister and her friend, but she also had to admit that she was envious. No one cared about her like that.
Zander gave her a brief smile. They both knew that Zander wouldn't have won a physical fight with Bobby.
“Are you going to be okay?” Zander asked.
For the first time in months, Jade's shoulders relaxed. He wasn't asking about the backlash with Bobby that she would have to contend with tomorrow. He was worried about Jade’s wellbeing after hearing the voices. It touched her that he was concerned about her. “I think so.”
Zander reached over and put his hand over hers. It was warm and soothing. She liked the way things simplified when Zander was around, like his presence broke down complex theories into easy-to-understand notions. She didn't want to go inside the house that thrived on chaos.
Zander couldn’t believe the turn his night had taken. He was sitting in his car, holding hands with Jade Miller. He knew he should act like an adult and recognize the night for what it was: a random encounter. However, the high school version of himself was shouting with glee and urging him to kiss her.
Bobby coughed and broke the serene moment. Jade pulled her hand out from Zander's and helped her brother inside.
* * * *
Chapter Four: The Thanksgiving Eve with a Sign from the Universe
All Shadows Eve Page 5