by Shelly Crane
“Alright,” Bish said easily, hesitating only a moment before sprinkling a little salt on his quiche. “Anyone else wants to lay it on the table, so to speak?” he said dryly.
“I can move metal,” Rachel volunteered with a cheery smile and I read Bish’ first thought.
Magneto.
“That’s her nickname,” I told him, reminding him of my ability too.
“It’s fitting,” he said and smiled to her. “Do you…do you mind if I can see it?” he asked shyly.
Her answer was to smile and remove his chain from around his neck, the cross he keeps under his shirt. It came easily from around his head, hovering in the air for a second and landing in his outstretched palm. He flashed a surprised smile and looked at her with new eyes.
“Awesome,” he muttered, “Anyone else? Jen?” he asked though he’d already asked her this last night.
He was doing it just to talk to her again and she smiled despite it all.
“I don’t have one. I’m not imprinted, remember?” she said softly.
“Oh yeah,” he answered, looking at her closely. He sent a small smile which she returned. “That’s right.”
His mind was thinking it was a shame that she was alone, that she was so incredibly beautiful and smart and sweet and he‘d give anything to be another person in another life. She was thinking pretty much the same thing about him. Then he looked around at us all.
“Caleb?” he asked just a little bit harder than needed.
“I don’t have one either. I’m an imprinted freak,” he said with a smirk but he was feeling a new sting at having to start telling people he didn’t have an ability.
“What?”
“Caleb, don’t say that,” Rachel scolded and turned to Bish. “Caleb didn’t get his ability, we don’t know why.”
“Bad karma,” Bish mused and chuckled.
“Bish,” I said.
“Just kidding. So, Dad, have you drunk the Kool-Aid too?” he asked laughing which prompted us all to laugh.
He was taking it all in stride, a complete turn around from last night.
“No, afraid not. I’m still just little old me.”
Bish nodded and took a big bite, smiling as he chewed. It was amazing.
~ Seventeen ~
Beck and Ralph came down shortly after that, bouncing and nuzzling each other as they walked into the full kitchen. Beck stopped mid giggle and straightened up.
“Morning,” she chimed brightly and turned to hide her blush as she grabbed a glass from the cupboard.
Ralph took a seat at the counter on the stool and eyed the quiche beside him.
“So what are we doing today since we apparently aren’t going home like we should,” Dad said and glanced at me meaningfully.
“Well…we need to talk, but later, not now,” I said thinking of Amber’s confession.
“Let’s go surfing,” Caleb interjected to force a subject change. “Maggie’s gotten pretty good at it.”
“Oooh,” Beck crooned happily. “But I don’t have a board.”
“We have plenty in the back.”
“Yes, let’s,” Peter said and stood. “It’ll be good for everyone to focus on something else for a while.”
Beck and Ralph looked at each other.
“Sorry, did we interrupt something?” she asked, biting her thumb nail.
“No, you’re fine, just stress. Let’s all go get suited up for the beach.”
As he and the rest of them filed out, I got up to stand beside Beck.
“Caleb taught me to surf after we’d been here a few days. It‘s so fun.”
“I wish I knew how. Like, I could find a genie to teach me to surf in like, a minute,” she mused. I heard Caleb chuckle behind me as he and Ralph headed upstairs to get ready. “I don’t want to spend my whole time learning, but oh well. At least we’ll get to strut ourselves on the beach right?”
“Yeah, Beck. Sure.”
I smiled as I grabbed her hand and towed her to get ready.
“It’s freezing! Like ice!” Beck complained.
“Babe, just get in already,” Ralph yelled, exasperated, as he sat on the board in the water. “How am I gonna teach you to surf if you won’t get in the water?”
“Fine!” she yelled as I watched her plunge in and sputter when she got splashed in the face. She came up with a piece of seaweed on her neck. “Ooooh!” she squealed while she fluttered it off with swinging arms. “It got in my hair!”
“It’s just seaweed!”
“I don’t see you with seaweed in your hair!”
I laughed and turned to see Bish and Jen sitting on sand, with their shorts and t-shirts on. They were close enough to talk but not enough to touch with Bella in between them. I’d long since tuned them out. The inner rant of misplaced feelings was too much to handle. She laughed at something he said and he smiled in enjoyment.
I bit the side of my lip and pondered what to do. It was really getting out of hand and it seemed that warning Bish about her was only making him want her more. Men.
“Hey,” Caleb said starting towing me into the water with him. “Not all men.”
“You’re not worried about this?”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “But…it kills me that she wants it so bad and can’t have it. I want her to be happy.”
“And I want him to be happy. But at what cost?”
“Ok, enough, where’s our stress free bubble anyway?” he said and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“I think it popped when Marla made an appearance.”
“Well, we need to get back to it and just relax for the last few days we’re here.”
“That’s not possible with everything that’s happened. Plus, I know you’re not going to relax, so why should I?”
He screwed up his lips.
“Touché. But,” he grinned, “I have a show tonight. Don’t you want me to be calm and ready for it?”
“Blackmail,” I said and giggled. “Really?”
“Whatever it takes,” he rebutted in amusement and pulled me into the freezing water.
His mom and dad were right behind us and surfed like pros. I gawked at Rachel in her little swim suit, so different from her slacks she always wore, and she could glide and paddle with gumption. Beck finally stopped whining and I heard her laughing several times as Ralph tried to teach her stay on the board. Dad swam around, forgoing a board, and got a workout. Kyle, poor Kyle, stayed pretty much to himself and eventually went and laid in the sand. Bish and Jen stayed on the beach the whole time, never once getting in the water.
“So, what’s the star for?” Beck asked Caleb, us four lying on towels on the sand. I was on the verge of sleep when Beck roused me with her question. Caleb kept a hand on my back as I lay on my stomach in case I fell asleep. It had been a long night.
Caleb rubbed his shoulder where the hollow green star was inked into his skin.
“Um…It’s kinda silly, I guess. I’m a night owl.” He shrugged.
“I get it. Cool. I like the other one too. The swirls are neat. I always wanted a tattoo. Maybe Ralph and I will get one before we leave for school.”
“Nuhuh,” Ralph said and put an arm over his eyes. “I’m not marring my pretty skin. No offense, dude.”
“None taken,” Caleb said bemused.
Kyle was walking by, heading to the house his mind said, so I stopped him.
“Come sit with us, Kyle.”
He looked between Caleb and me, ready to keep going, when Beck helped me, unbeknownst to her.
“Yeah, Kyle, you’re so sullen. Sit.”
He sighed and sat down, throwing the towel over his head and shoulders to shield himself from the sun. He was in my line of sight. I couldn’t help it as I looked over his chest and stomach, hard and tan like all the Jacobson’s were. He had a little trail of hair down the middle too. I saw something right under his navel, peeking out of the top of his swim trunks. I squinted to look closer and heard him.
I told
you I had a tattoo in an interesting spot. It’s an eagle. I got it when I turned sixteen and it hurt like a mother.
I smiled and laughed silently. He liked my reaction and smiled too, his eyes showing a little bit of happiness that hadn’t been there in days. Caleb however gave me an odd look.
“Ok, everyone,” Peter called and I saw in her mind and felt Beck’s eyes bulge as she looked up at Peter with only his swimsuit on. Those Jacobson men had the no-shirt look down. “We better all go in and try to shower before Caleb’s show tonight.”
Everyone agreed as we trudged up to the house. Beck and I got dressed in the room where my suitcase was. Peter couldn’t get anyone to fix the shower stall yet but had bought a shower curtain at least. I still felt bad but he assured me everyone understood and it was all fine.
After Beck and I showered and were fixing our hair, I heard her internally debating how to bring up that she knew I was hiding something. She figured it had something to do with my kidnapping and had been waiting for me to explain it. She was done waiting.
“So…you never told me what happened with you being kidnapped,” she asked easily as she slid the flat iron down her locks.
“It was these guys,” I said, my mouth in a wide ’O’ as I put on mascara. “One of them was stalking me. They took me to their house and eventually I escaped. Caleb and his family had been out looking for me, combing the woods and he found me. That’s about it.”
“So you saved him then he saved you. You guys are so meant for each other,” she said in a swoony voice.
“Yes,” I smiled, “we are.”
“So…are you pregnant?”
“What? No!”
“Well, you’re just acting so weird and everything seems so secretive about you guys coming here and all. I thought your dad sent you away to have the baby or something.”
“No, we just came here because the guys never got caught that kidnapped me.” She gasped and her face scrunched. “I know. It’s ok, though. Caleb’s always with me and I’m perfectly safe.”
“You guys are sweeter than a sugar rush, Mags.” She pumped her lip-gloss and talked through her application of it. “Goodbye Chad, hello Caleb, mister meaty tanned tattooed boy.”
I laughed and sat on the bed to put my sandals on.
“Beck, jeez. So how are things with Ralph?”
I knew the answers but needed to be the friend right then. She spilled all the details. I mean all! I was blushing and eventually told her I’d had enough description for one night. She laughed and swayed her hips as she sang ‘Dream’ by Priscilla Ahn very badly and off key as she finished getting ready. Gosh, I missed her.
Ready, Maggie?
I smiled at Caleb and wished I could do something to ease him. His strain and nerves were coming to me from him, coating his words.
Yep. Be down in just a second. You’re gonna be great, babe, stop worrying.
I can’t. I’m freaking out, a little bit.
I can tell. I giggled inside. Be down in a sec.
“Beck, we gotta go.”
“Ok.” She made smooch lips to the mirror and then smiled at me. “It’s shameful to look this fabulous isn’t it?” she said, making me laugh.
“Absolutely, just shameful.”
The boys met us downstairs. Caleb was rubbing his chin and sucking his bottom lip in and out, making me sigh with the warm familiarity of it. He smiled when he saw me.
Gorgeous.
You look pretty good yourself. Very...rock star.
Ha. Ha.
He looked like he always did. Jeans and a black Foo Fighters t-shirt, his hair lay over his forehead and around his ears. I pushed my hand through it.
“It’s perfect. It’s you.”
He grinned, shaking his head.
“Zeke told me to wear leather, lots of it.”
“And you’re rebelling?” I said through a laugh.
“I’m telling him subtlety to screw himself.”
I laughed again and turned when Peter entered the foyer.
“Ok, Caleb. We’ll come later, right before you go on stage, ok?” Caleb nodded. “In case I don’t see you before that, you’re gonna kill ‘em.”
“Thanks,” Caleb said and rubbed his neck in embarrassment. “Alright, If you’re riding with me, let’s go,” he said and pulled me with my hand in his, not giving me the option.
Beck and Ralph came with us. Kyle was coming early but said he was picking up Amber first. I didn’t know what to tell him about her so I said nothing. And Bish….well Bish said he had no interest in seeing Caleb play so he was staying home.
Everyone else was coming later after the opening bands were done. Caleb grumbled that opening bands were the future of music and mostly the best part to see in the show anyway. If they got famous, you could say ‘I saw them open for (Insert artist here) a year ago!’ He thought they were crazy for not helping to support small local bands. I agreed but didn’t understand why he didn’t just tell his parents all that. He didn’t ever do anything to disappoint them or upset them.
In the car, Beck and Ralph sat in the back. The club, Stage Fright, was across town so we had a little bit of a drive to get there. Caleb turned on a Weezer c.d. and blared ‘Say It Ain’t so’. I’m not sure who started singing first but we all joined in, badly I might add, screaming and singing at the top of our lungs, laughing. Ralph was drumming his hands on the back of my seat and Caleb was playing air guitar while he steered with his knees. Then ‘In the Garage’ came on and then the whole album played by the time we got something to eat through a drive-thru and made it to the club.
The parking lot didn’t have many people in it because it just opened. I shielded my mind from everything before we went in. Once again there was no hassle with the doorman and we went in, getting an “I‘m with the band” wristband in the process. As I stepped in, I looked around. The carpet was red and the walls gray with neon dragons and flames, shining under the black lights. The stage was short and shallow against the back wall with an open area in front for a mosh pit.
Caleb was using one of their basses in the show so he didn’t have to bring anything with him. There was one band going on before them and he needed to head in to the backroom to warm up as the opening band was about to go on already.
“You’re gonna be so great,” I told him and straightened invisible wrinkles on his shirt front. I could feel his unease about this. “I don’t know why you’re so worried. Remember when I went to see you practice?” He nodded and sucked his lip in and out. “Remember that look on my face that you love so much?” He nodded again and smiled a little. “Well, I’m gonna have that look on my face all night, because not only do I love you, but you are awesome on that bass. And you could tell if I was lying.”
He chuckled deep in his throat, his gratefulness sweeping over me. He looked at me, his eyes roaming my face with adoration. He pressed our faces together, noses touching, cheeks touching and spoke to me.
Thank you. I love you, Maggie. I couldn‘t live without you, you know that?
Ditto.
He smiled against my cheek and blew a steadying breath before straightening and looking around.
“Stay where I can see you, ok?” he said, back to being the tyrant for my safety.
“Sure,” I answered and Kyle came up beside us.
“You don’t have to set up and all, man?” he asked.
“I do. I need to go but…”
Caleb was backing out. He hadn’t thought all this through and felt like an idiot for not thinking about what he was gonna do with me during the show. He couldn’t leave me alone, not with people after us.
“I’ll stay with Maggie, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Kyle chimed in opportunity.
I figured a fight was coming but Caleb was relieved.
“Thanks, man, I appreciate it.”
“No sweat,” Kyle said and shrugged. “I’ll get us a soda.”
“Ok,” Caleb turned back to me. “You ok with this?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Ok. Come see the guys before they start warming up.”
As we made our way through the hall and I caught Kyle’s eye and pointed to show him where I was going so he wouldn’t look for me. He nodded and turned to Beck and Ralph as they hopped on the stools by him.
Block them out, remember?
I nodded to Caleb just as we went through the back room door.
“Maggie!” I heard and looked around Caleb’s arm to see Spence, grinning and beating his drumsticks on his leg. “Hello, my little Tennessee muffin.”
“Uh, hi?” I said or asked or something.
I wasn’t sure what to say and they laughed, making me flush.
“Caleb, what are you wearing, man? I thought we said-”
“You said. Number one, I don’t own any leather,” Caleb explained with the fingers he was naming and pointing at Zeke. “Number two, you’ll never get me in any.”
“He looks fine,” Spence said and pointed to his own KISS shirt with a drumstick. “Vintage T-shirts are the way to go, man. Leather is out.”
“Bollocks,” Zeke muttered under his breath. “We need to get started.”
“Ok, you alright?” Caleb asked me in a low voice.
“Where’s my honey tea?” I heard Zeke say behind us. “Someone swiped my honey tea!”
“Yeah,” I said as we laughed at him.
“I never thought I’d say this but, stay with Kyle,” he said sternly.
“Caleb, stop worrying.”
“I can’t stop. My veins are about to boil right now. This was dumb. It’s so dumb to leave you unprotected so I can play some stupid show.”
“It’s not dumb. We have to live. We can’t just leave everything behind and forget what we want. I’m not letting them do that to you or me. And besides, I’m not a little human anymore, remember? I can take care of myself.”
“I know you think that-“
“Caleb, I’m the Visionary,” I said a little harder to drive my point in. “I’m ascended and I’ll be right here in front of you the whole time.”
He sighed and I heard him thinking that he had actually almost forgotten that; who I was and what I was. It almost made me smile.