“Why not now, what’s holding you both back?”
“It doesn’t start til 9th grade unless we can find someone to run it. I’m trying to get through my classes with honors.”
I stood up from the bed getting ready to head downstairs to meet Jenson. I gathered my purse and picked up my keys sitting on the nightstand. “You’re more of a geek than I am,” I teased.
She pouted a bit as we left my room.
“I know, I’m helping you with that terrible math class, remember?”
“Yes, and I cannot wait til it’s over!”
She chuckled at that while we made our way down the stairs to the landing.
“What are you and Jenson, going to do, after the dance?”
“He has a surprise planned. I’m not sure if it’s after the dance or before it. I suspected a limo or perhaps we’re all going out for dinner before. He’s kept me guessing. I’m not much of a girlie girl, but tonight I feel truly beautiful,” I said, spinning around in my dress.
Megan grabbed my hand pulling me into a hug. Then quickly let go. “Just don’t step on his feet while your dancing,” she giggled. Then placed her hand on my shoulder.
I pushed back the curtains on the door to peer out the window. Nope, no sign of anyone yet. I let the curtains fall back. Megan took her hand off of my shoulder. I turned to face her.
“It’s too early, didn’t Jenson say he’d pick you up around eight? It’s only seven-fifteen,” said my mother, stepping out of the kitchen into the hallway. “Why don’t I get a photo of you and your sister before they arrive? I’ll grab my camera. One second, I’ll be back.
My mother hurried out of the hallway into the living room.
“I have my cell phone. She could have used it to take a picture of us,” I stated.
“Mom’s old school. You should know that by now.”
“You're right,” I admitted, resting against the door.
“Where’s dad?”
“Oh, he’s off doing errands for Cavin, or trying to find a way to convince mom to go back to the clan,” I speculated.
“We wouldn’t have to live in a cabin nearby if it happened. Would we? I’m not a woodsy person,” Megan confessed.
“Probably not,” I answered. Then rolled my eyes. Sisters.
My mom rushed back into the hall. “OK, I found the camera. Are you two ready to strike a pose?”
My sister and I muffled laughter at my mother’s pop culture reference. I should learn how to vogue. It was the one dance move I knew I couldn’t mess up. It was also a catchy tune!
Chapter 6
(Dan)
Nuria's cabin was just up ahead. I traveled down the dirt road lined with pine trees and turned into the driveway. Then pulled in parking the car. I got out, slamming the door rather loudly. It didn’t look as if anyone was home. Still, I stepped onto the porch. In the window to the left side of the door, Cal and Nuria sat cross-legged on the floor leafing through some books. Nuria looked up, then waved. Cal saw me, stood up and raced to the door. I stood back as it swung open. She popped her head out.
“Hi stranger,” she greeted me. “Do you want to come in, or we could sit on the porch,” she suggested. “Nuria is just setting aside the books we’re going over. I’m trying to catch up on some studies.”
“Are you not attending the local school? Ah, what grade are you suppose to be in any way?” I asked, scratching my head.
Nuria came up behind Cal. She opened the door a bit wider. “Come in. You must be getting chilled. Cal, did you invite our guest inside?”
“I thought we could sit on the porch,” Cal complained.
“It’s still winter, and it doesn’t appear as if Dan has dressed for the weather,” Nuria scolded. “Come on in. I’ll get you a cup of coffee. What is it you’re here inquiring about? I wasn’t expecting to see you until the trial,” she acknowledged, shutting the door behind me.
I took off my coat, handing it to her. She hung it on a rack near the entrance. Cal headed over to the gray couch and sat down.
“I was just asking Cal about school? Is she attending?”
“We’re working on getting her caught up. She’s taken a few tests, online.” Nuria pointed to her computer on the desk in the corner.
“There are efficient tutorials so we can determine what levels she’s at in each subject. It will be a year or two before she’s caught up. Better to do it here around family. Don’t you think?”
“I suppose. You’ve fixed the place up,” I observed, surveying the main room. Nuria had new lovely red curtains on the front window. A dining table sat back near the wall, next to her hidden bedroom.
“Minder helped me touch it up a bit. Do you like the new table?”
“Nice touch,” I added.
She pulled me out a seat at the table. I sat relaxing in the wooden chair. They really had made a home out of this little cabin, I thought.
“Give me a minute.”
Nuria turned, scurrying over to a cupboard on the right side of the table. She hunched down, reached in and pulled out a coffee maker. Then grabbed filters and a bag of ground beans. She juggled them in her hands. Then set them down on the counter, and grabbed the plug pushing it into an outlet. She stood up to face me, “I’m going to be doing some renovations. Now that I plan on living here permanently, I’ll add a small kitchen. I don’t see how I could live without it now that Cal is here, and Minder.”
I nodded, “Are you and Rascal speaking, or-”
Nuria blushed. She put the filter in the coffee maker and measured the grounds placing them inside. “I’ll be right back,” she said, dodging my question. She took the coffee pot and headed to the bathroom.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“She gets flustered when you ask about Rascal,” said Cal. She turned back to her book she’d been studying.
I played with the sugar packets in a container on the table for a bit. Then choose out a few before picking up two small cups of vanilla creamer.
“Cal, if it’s alright would you like to have pancakes with Starla and Tri tomorrow?”
Her face lit up, “I would love that! I’m not sure, though, if I can. I mean, it is sort of, short notice,” she replied.
“Short notice for what?” asked Nuria, stepping back into the room.
“Tri and I thought, if it was OK, Cal might come over for breakfast tomorrow,” I offered. “I would be there with Tri, Starla, and Megan. She’d be safe. You’re welcome to join us, and Minder.
“Mom and I were going to have breakfast here tomorrow, but she could come too, couldn’t she?”
“Of course,” Dan chuckled.
Nuria took two cups off of a shelf setting them down on the table. “Perhaps we should get out of this stuffy cabin. We’ve been spending most of our time here. When in the morning, would you want us to arrive?”
“Oh, say ten-ish. Starla will be out late tonight at this dance of hers.”
The coffee finished brewing, and Nuria poured it into our mugs.
“Cal, do you want to join us?” she asked, turning towards her.
Cal set down her book on the coffee table. “Sure. I’d like my coffee with cream, though.”
“Of course. After Dan leaves, we’ll finish the equations you were working on,” suggested Nuria.
“Mmm hmm,” she answered, shuffling over to join us. Cal plopped down beside me. She grabbed creamer adding it, to her drink. “Are you going to tell him about Rascal or what?” Cal pressed as she stirred.
Nuria settled into her seat, sipping her coffee. I waited for her to respond.
“Running off, wasn’t the proper thing to do,” she confessed. “We haven’t fully mended our relationship. We're on the right track, but how do you tell your boyfriend your girlfriends a werewolf? It’s why I ran off every time there was a full moon. In spite of that, I finally convinced him it’s vital he’s present during the trial. Cal and Starla will begin training soon. I didn’t know they would be learning side by
side. It was Nayla’s idea.”
Cal set aside her coffee. “Yeah, it’s not something you advertise. The first time you changed, I thought I was going to have a heart attack! I'd only been among the bandits for a few weeks. It seems like ages ago, now I'm home. Other than that, I’m super excited about training with Starla. Minder reminds me of the huge responsibility that comes with knowledge.”
“She’s right, make sure you pay attention to her. I’ll want updates as you both progress,” I addressed Cal. Then looked back to Nuria, “Rascal will understand. He’s dealt with supernatural things among his Indian tribe as well as the fox clan.”
“Perhaps,” she admitted, staring into her coffee cup.
“How’s Eva?”
“She’s doing just fine,” Nuria replied, tapping the side of her mug.
I glanced down at my watch, 6:15. “Shoot, I should be going. Starla will be leaving for the dance soon. I’d like to get a few pictures with her,” I stammered.
“It's fine, go. We’ll see you at breakfast. I’ll just get instructions from Mike. He knows where Tri lives, right?”
“Here,” I pulled out my detective card and used the pen sitting on the table to write the address.
“Thanks, now go, we’ll see you later.”
“Later,” I said, waving goodbye to them.
Chapter 7
(Starla)
Mom finished taking several pictures of Megan and me in different poses. The best one of us was of her and me, curtsying to each other wearing funny expressions on our faces. Dad would love that one! I smirked to myself, then pulled the curtain back from the window. I’d been waiting in the entrance for Jensen and Maine for ten minutes now. Megan had run upstairs to do some studying.
“Starla, they’ll be here. Besides, your dad just called. He’s on his way to see you before the dance. Now, I know Molly’s at home. Let’s hope all goes well with Mr. Fretner, meeting Maine. Hopefully, you can get copies of her pictures. I'm sure her folks will take some.”
“Okay, Mom,” I replied letting the curtain fall back into place.
“You have your cell phone. Right? In case you need to call me?” she asked.
“Of course, if we go out to any after parties I’ll call. If I need to, I can crash at Molly’s. I’m pretty sure we’ll take Maine home afterward unless they’re OK with her staying there. If I’m also, staying. Still, Mr. Fretner is pretty stern. I sense Tabitha would agree with him on that one.”
“Maybe, it’s hard to tell. Besides, it’s not like they would do anything with you there. Would they?” asked Mom.
“Probably not, Molly's shy,” I confirmed, shrugging it off. “Have you heard anything from Cal or Eva?”
“Not yet, I suggested, she and Eva stop by for breakfast eventually.”
“Oh, could I ask my friends to join us? That is if you don’t suppose Eva would mind?”
“Well, I’m not sure concerning the current situation. Molly and Jenson are fine, but Maine isn’t in the loop of our secret circle,” she reminded me.
This is my life. My existence, I thought. Irritated, that my mom would so quickly write off Maine meeting Cal. This would be my first time meeting her face to face. I planned on getting to know her and including her in many of our group activities. I hadn’t considered being a part of the clan would mean shutting her out of my life. Then what about Molly? She was an accepted member. It wouldn’t be fair to her, to have to hide who I was from Maine. A sudden knock at the door startled me. I jumped back, almost falling onto the floor!
“It’s your dad,” said my mom. She helped me to steady myself. Then opened the door.
“I almost thought I’d miss you,” he explained. Then stepped into the entrance hall. Mom shut the door behind him. He took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack. “I see Jenson has yet to arrive?”
“Yes, he appears to be a tad late,” I said, stepping over to my father. “Dad, did you talk to Eva? How’s Cal?”
“I went over there this afternoon. Mike mentioned to me you spoke to him about having them over. Minder, Nuria, Eva, and Cal will be joining us around 10 a.m tomorrow. I have one request. It’s to be a family meeting. Ah ah! I don’t want you to think I’m discrediting the assistance your friends gave us on our last mission. Presently things are sensitive. Molly and Jenson would be fine, but I don’t want Maine to feel sideswiped. Once things move along, perhaps the laws and rules will change. I don’t want you to work yourself up over this. I know how agitated and angry you get when you believe you’re not allowed to forge your own path,” he noted.
I wanted to pound my foot into the tile floor. Instead, I kept myself composed taking in deep breaths and exhaling them out. You are an adult, living at home. Therefore, you still have to live under their regulations. I reminded myself.
“Dad, I’ll be here in the morning for breakfast with everyone. I’m not sure what Jenson, has planned for us tonight. I may not be home until dawn,” I stated.
Then glanced at my mother to see her reaction, but she only smiled at me. Then picked up the camera, she’d set on the table near the entrance.
“Here, we should take photos. Jenson ought to be here any second,” she declared.
I put my arm around my dad’s waist. Then gave my best cheesy grin. “OK, it’s time for a silly picture,” I said, giving my father bunny ears. They were more like side peace signs since I’m shorter than him.
Mom chuckled, “You both seem to be having a grand time, however, your chariot awaits!”
Jenson opened the door and then took my hand, placing a purple corsage on my wrist. He gazed up at me. “Um, Maine’s at Molly’s already. We’ll meet them there. Something about her parents wanting to meet theirs. Molly called me earlier,” he said.
“Oh, OK, it’s fine,” I mumbled, reaching out to hug him. He pulled me close for a few minutes and then gradually let me go.
“I couldn’t get a limo. My grandpa lent me his old 1979 Volkswagen Super Beetle Convertible.” He grinned pointing towards it. “Isn’t she just beautiful? Black isn’t a bad color either. Less chance of getting pulled over by the cops!” He bragged.
I muffled a laugh. My Jenson always concerned about being pulled over. I took his hand, standing in the open doorway.
It’s a classic,” I said and meant it; I placed my arm around his shoulders. Then pulled him closer, “should we get going?” I asked. My dad turned to Jenson, “Photos first if you don’t mind?”
“Sure, Can you make me a copy?”
“Of course,” he answered, taking the camera from my mother. He took several shots of us and managed to rig it, so all four of us were in one. “Take the camera, make sure to get pictures at Molly’s.” I nodded to my mom. Then hugged her goodbye. “You two go have fun,” she said, shutting the door behind us. Dad had already headed for the kitchen. Mom must have promised to heat him up leftover spaghetti.
“Do you know how things are going with Molly? Has she checked in with you?” I asked as we made our way to the parked car.
“Everything is fine. No news is good news.”
I stopped, leaning against the passenger side of the car. My hand curled around the handle to open it when Jenson bent down kissing me softly on the lips. He stepped back, and I turned to open the door.
“No, let me,” he offered, pulling it open. I sat down. He leaned into the car studying my face. “I wouldn’t worry. We’ll see what’s happening. If need be, we’ll officially rescue them from pandemonium.”
Jensen got in the driver’s seat. He buckled his safety belt and grinned at me. “You ready?”
“Yes, now turn up the music!”
“I’ll turn it on, but not up to loud. This car is my grandfather’s. I promised him I’d take good care of it. If I do, then someday it will be mine.”
“Your grandpa must be a cool guy,” I acknowledged.
“He is, and he’d be in awe of you,” Jenson replied.
Chapter 8
(Dan)
“Thank you for this,” I said. Then sat down at the table. Tri put a warm plate of spaghetti in front of me. I scooped up several noodles and began to eat.
“You're welcome. It’s good to see you still have that appetite.” She smiled. “It’s a bit hard to believe we’ve made it this far,” she commented, pulling up a seat beside me.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“With Starla and the clan. I’m still skeptical about our situation, but so far Cavin seems to have it under control. You know, from what you’ve told me about Thunderhead Bay. Has he changed since I’d lived there?”
“Cavin,” I said, shaking my head. “He’s still pretty much running the show. Every now and again Kaya puts him in his place. Starla dug into him a bit during the last mission. She’s a lot like you were at her age.”
“I bet the quirky sense of self, and sass. When you spoke with Eva, what did she have to say?”
“I didn’t, Cal is currently staying with Nuria. I found it all a bit strange. She claimed Cal’s used to being with her. Eva was going to join them for breakfast tomorrow at the cabin. Minder is also living there,” I explained.
“And that is because...”
“From what I gathered Nuria’s helping her with her studies. She needs time to adjust to a regular routine. If Eva was upset by this, she would have argued that Cal ought to live with her. I assume there’s a reason for this.”
“I suppose your right,” Tri admitted.
We sat in silence for a few minutes as I finished up my food. Then I took a long drink of my water and set it down.”Delicious as always,” I confessed, wiping my mouth with the paper napkin.”
“Do you care to stay and help with the dishes?”
“I’ll wash them, if you dry them and put them away. About tomorrow I invited Cal, Eva, Nuria, and Minder for breakfast. Now, when you see Minder, please don’t stare. She’s a hybrid wolf-vampire. If she does show up, I’m not exactly sure how we’re going to keep it on the down low.”
Spirit Guide (Myth-Series Book 2) Page 3