by Julia Crane
Can’t I see you now?
I groaned out loud. I thought I had the perfect excuse to postpone. It’s dark.
Please.
K. Meet u out back.
I peeked in the mirror to make sure I looked okay, then ran a brush through my hair and fixed my outfit. It was late, and I knew my parents wouldn’t let me out, so I’d have to use my glamour to turn invisible and sneak out the back door.
They were in their room watching TV. I willed myself invisible and snuck down the stairs and into the kitchen. I paused at the back door, listening for any sign they might have heard me. Carefully, I turned the knob and went outside.
The air was brisk and felt good on my skin. I willed myself visible again and looked around. I didn’t see Kallan yet. I wasn’t sure where he was coming from. Did he go back into the woods at night? Back home? Or was he staying somewhere in the human world?
Shortly after, I saw a figure near the woods. Since faeries had better sight than humans, I knew immediately it was Kallan. His wings practically glowed in the dark. My heart flip-flopped as I walked towards him. His eyes glistened in the moonlight. I fought the urge to run to him and throw my arms around his neck.
“Hi,” he said shyly.
“Hey.” I nervously pulled at the hem of my shirt.
“Lot of homework?”
“Yeah. I haven’t been keeping up lately. I need to catch up or my parents are going to ground me.”
“That sucks. They give out way more homework here than in my world. Our classes are mostly interactive so we do the work at school.”
“That’s cool.”
“Do you always struggle with school or is this something new?”
“I’ve never been a straight-A student, but I usually keep up with the work and get decent enough grades.”
“Oh. I hope it’s not because of me?”
I wrapped my arms across my chest. “In a way. I’ve had a lot on my mind since you brought me home.”
“I’m sorry. I can help you catch up, if you want.”
“It’s not just your fault. It’s mine for not getting through this better.” I sighed. “Let’s not talk about school. Okay?”
“Sure, what do you want to talk about?”
“You want me to get to know you better, so tell me something I don’t know.”
“Okay.” He laughed and tapped his finger to his lips, thinking. “I like puzzles.”
“Puzzles? Like jigsaw?”
“Yes. I like figuring out how to put things together.”
“Are you good at the Rubik’s Cube?”
“What’s that?”
It was my turn to laugh. “Just a game. Forget it.” I looked up at the stars. “Where are you staying?”
“Close by,” he answered vaguely.
“Are you staying in the human realm or going back and forth every day?”
“I have a place here, but I go back a lot to check in.”
“I’m sure your father is not thrilled...”
“He thinks I’m showing weakness.”
“Weakness? How so?”
“Come on. Look at me. I left my home, my school, my friends—to be near you.”
My skin rippled with goose bumps at the look in his eyes. “And that’s showing weakness?”
He shrugged and looked off in the distance. “Well, if it is, it’s worth it to me.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. It tripped me up when Kallan was honest with his feelings, considering how good he was at being evasive. It was weird to be in a relationship where neither person could lie.
“Your turn. I told you I like puzzles. Now you tell me something. Where do you like to vacation?”
“The beach is nice. We always go there on family vacations. Have you ever been there?”
“Not in your world.”
“I should take you sometime. The water isn’t as clear as yours, but it’s still beautiful. There’s something relaxing about the sound of the ocean waves.”
“I’d like to see your world with you.”
His words always had a way of disarming me. I wanted to be angry at him, but it was impossible.
We walked along the tree line. “You sure are popular with the girls at school.”
“You are more beautiful than any other girl at that school.”
I was glad it was dark and he couldn’t see me blush. “I think you’re biased, because you can see my wings, but thanks.”
“Wings aside, those girls still don’t hold a candle to you.” He stopped in his tracks and turned towards me.
We gazed into each other’s eyes. Kallan’s hand brushed mine. I jerked it back. “Kallan...”
“Rylie...” Kallan backed me up against a tree. I could feel his breath on my neck. My heart pounded in my chest. He ran his hand down one of my wings, sending a jolt through my body. “I...”
I reached up and softly touched Kallan’s cheek. “I can’t.”
“Adam?”
“Yeah.”
He let go of me. “I’ll walk you back to your house,” he said, looking down at the ground.
“I’m sorry.”
He was silent until we reached my back door. I turned the knob and looked back to say goodbye, but he had disappeared.
“Morning,” I muttered to Sierra when I got in the car, cringing as I accidentally slammed the door.
She grunted a response, her eyes squeezing shut.
“You okay?” I asked, noticing the music was off. That wasn’t like her.
“Bad night.”
“The baby?”
“Mhmm. On top of that, my head is pounding.” She put the car into gear and pulled out of the driveway.
Something was definitely up with her, and I thought maybe it wasn’t just about her nephew.
In the parking lot at school, Adam ran up to the car before we could even get out. His eyes danced in excitement. “Guess what?”
I smiled at his giddiness despite my bad mood. “What?”
“My parents are taking me to check out Southern Cal over spring break.”
“Really? That’s awesome!” I threw my arms around him. Adam’s dream was to get into Southern California to play baseball and from there, he hoped to make it to the major leagues. But California was a long way from Virginia. I planned on applying to a few schools in California, but with my grades the way they were, the chances of getting in were slim to none.
“I’m sure you’ll have fun,” Sierra chimed in.
I planted a big kiss on his lips. “I wish I could go with you.”
“Me too.” With his arm around me, we walked into the school.
Adam had baseball practice after school so Sierra dropped me off at home. I ran up the stairs two at a time and threw myself on my bed.
Kallan hadn’t been at school. He wasn’t in the class we shared, and the morose looks on the faces of the girls who usually flanked him proved he wasn’t there.
I stared at the ceiling for a few moments and then pulled my phone out of my jeans before I could talk myself out of it.
R u ok? I typed and hit send.
I stared at the phone and willed a reply to come through, but it didn’t. With a heavy sigh, I pulled myself out of bed and took my school books from my bag, thinking I might as well get some work done.
After a few minutes of reading passed, I realized I’d read the same paragraph over and over. It was too hard to concentrate because of Kallan. Why wasn’t he at school? And then a thought hit me—maybe he decided to go home after last night.
My shoulders sagged. I was surprised at how sad that made me.
C’mon, Rylie, concentrate on your schoolwork. I sighed and focused harder on what was in front of me.
Two hours later, my phone chimed. My heart leapt, and I reached for my phone, but in my haste, I dropped it to the floor. I reached down under my desk to pick it up and whacked my head on the edge of the desk when I stood up.
Rubbing my head, I swiped the phone to see th
e message.
My heart sank when I saw it was Adam. Practice sucked. I’m beat and heading home 2 sleep.
Ok. C u 2mrw.
Love u.
Love u 2.
I threw the phone on my bed, irritated that a text from my boyfriend hadn’t been as important to my stupid brain as a text from Kallan. Grumbling to myself, I went back to my books.
I was surprised when my mom yelled up that dinner was done, because I hadn’t even heard them come home. I placed my pencil back in its spot and stood up.
I trudged down the stairs and shoveled watery mac and cheese down my throat, laughing inwardly as I wondered how anybody could screw up mac and cheese, but somehow my mother managed to. Not that I was any better. I could ask Azura to teach me, but I didn’t enjoy cooking or baking.
After small talk about our day, I took my last swig of my soda and wiped my mouth, then excused myself to get back to science vocabulary. It seemed hopeless. I was never going to catch up.
Before I went to bed, I checked my phone one last time.
No new messages.
A knock on the door woke me up the next morning. Sunlight filtered through the crack in my curtains, and I turned towards my door, rubbing my eyes.
“Rylie?” Mom said softly. “Azura is here to take you to the spring festival.”
Crap. Was that today? I groaned. “Okay. Can you ask her to wait while I get ready?”
I heard some voices, and then Mom said, “Azura says you can get ready at her house. Just get presentable.”
“Oh.” I struggled to get out of bed. “Give me a few minutes.”
The door closed, and I stretched my arms, legs, and then my wings. I blinked a few times, trying to wake myself up as I made my way down the hall to use the bathroom. I splashed water on my face and dabbed it dry. Even with the beauty that came with being a faery, I looked tired.
Back in my room, I took a short-sleeve blue shirt off the hanger and paired it with a pair of jean capris.
I stuffed my phone down in my pocket, took a look around my room to make sure everything was in place, and headed downstairs. Mom and Dad sat in the kitchen across from Azura.
“Morning,” I said to the room. “Should I eat?” I directed my question at Azura.
“You don’t need to. We’ll be eating all day.”
Not to mention the food was much better in the faery world.
Azura glanced at my parents. “Oleander is welcome to come back here anytime she wants, but the celebration will last well into our night.”
“She has school Monday,” my dad spoke up.
“And I have studying to do for tests.” I didn’t mind going to the fair, but I didn’t want to be stuck there long. Especially since I hadn’t heard from Kallan.
Azura turned towards me. “You can come back whenever you want, but if you want to stay for the whole festival, I’ll have you back by Sunday morning so you have the day to study.”
“Okay,” I agreed tentatively.
Dad didn’t look happy, but he said, “Fine.”
I walked over to my parents and kissed both of them. “I’ll be okay. I’m taking my phone. Leave me a message if you can’t get through. I love you both very much.”
“We love you too.” Mom smiled. “Try to have fun.”
“Yeah. Fun,” Dad practically growled.
I wrapped my arms around him. “I’ll be home soon.”
Azura opened the door, and I followed her outside. “They’ll be okay,” she reassured me.
“I know. It just feels like I’m hurting them.”
“That’s understandable. They love you very much.”
We headed towards the woods. Azura led the way again on a gently sloping trail. I was still unsure of where to go. “How do you know where you’re going? The woods always seem the same.”
“Well, I have been doing it for almost seventeen years.” She cracked a smile.
I laughed. “Yeah, I guess.”
“You’ll find your balance soon. Try this. Just stand still right here.” She took me by the shoulders. “Close your eyes and breathe.”
I did as she instructed.
“What do you feel?”
“Warmth.”
“Mhmm. What else?”
“Familiarity?”
“Good. Without opening your eyes, tell me, which way do we go?”
I pointed with my left hand.
“Perfect.”
I opened my eyes, and we walked the way I pointed. “I got it right?”
“Yes. You will find yourself feeling more at home with nature. You can listen to the trees, the flowers, the piskies, whatever is around, and find your way home.”
I knew by “home” she meant her house and not where I grew up.
She stopped a few minutes later. “Ready?”
“Are we going through that weird feeling area again?” I asked with a laugh.
“You’ll get used to it.”
I took a few deep breaths, remembering how odd it felt last time. “Ready.”
Azura took my hand, and we continued. My stomach felt queasy, and I was glad I hadn’t eaten breakfast. After a minute, it felt normal again, but when I looked up, the sky was dark and a million stars danced above. “Wow...” I murmured and took a minute to relish them. “When does the queasiness stop?”
“With time.”
Of course. “What time is it?”
“Almost sunrise.”
As we got closer to tree house, the sky turned different shades of pink and purple. “It’s beautiful.”
The yards were quiet at this time of the morning, but some light shone inside the other tree houses. Azura noticed me craning to see inside and laughed.
“We get up early for the celebration.” Azura answered my question before I even asked it. She opened the front door at her house and let me walk in first. The sweet lavender scent tickled my nose. “Would you like breakfast? Or do you want to get ready first?”
“Um...whatever. It doesn’t matter to me. I guess I can get ready while you cook?”
“Wonderful. There are dresses in your room and please feel free to use whatever you need to in the bathroom.”
“Thank you.”
Azura went to the kitchen, and I headed up the stairs.
My room was just the way I’d left it. I grabbed a robe from the closet and headed back down the hall for the bathroom, but I noticed this time that Azura’s bedroom door was open. Curious, I poked my head inside.
It was sparsely decorated—whitewashed walls with a floral trim, a pale wood bed and matching dresser that held a vase of fresh lavender next to a picture frame. I glanced over my shoulder, noting the empty hallway, and walked inside to pick up the frame.
It was a baby picture—of me. It looked just like the one my mom had from the hospital, my tiny pink face poking above the soft blanket covered in butterflies that my mom had brought for me. This same picture still sat on the mantel in our living room.
“It was the only picture I could keep,” Azura said from behind me.
I jumped and put the frame down before I whirled around, sheepish at being caught in her room.
“If I had other photos of you, someone might have found out.” She smiled sadly.
“I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You’re not prying. This is your home, too, Oleander.”
I nodded, then with a flash of bravery, I touched her shoulder. “Thanks, Azura.”
The shower had an overly large showerhead that sprinkled water light enough to not be too rough, but with enough output to not have to rinse my hair for ten minutes. The bathtub was huge and allowed plenty of room for my wings to expand. It was so much easier to shower here than it was at my house. I didn’t have to keep my wings tucked in at all.
I dried off and examined the robe. It had slits so I could put it on around my wings. I popped a hand through the slit and realized that must have been how Kallan wore T-shirts all the time. They were made differently. I guess f
aeries had always done things differently.
I shrugged into the robe, the fabric settling perfectly around my wings. Had I grown up here, this stuff wouldn’t seem weird. I would just know what to do. But then I would have never known my parents, Adam, or Sierra, I reminded myself.
When I stepped into the hall, Azura called, “Come eat before you get dressed, while the food’s hot.”
I sat at the kitchen table and she placed a big plate of French toast in front of me and a bowl of fruit in the center of the table. My mouth watered at the smell. I waited for her to sit down and say her thanks, then I picked up the fork and inhaled the French toast.
As I moved on to the fruit, I moaned, “This. Is. So. Good.”
Azura grinned. “I’m glad you like it.”
I smiled back and slowed my chewing. “I do. It’s amazing. Thank you very much.”
“Don’t eat too much. There’ll be a lot of food to try at the celebration.”
I nodded. “I can’t wait.”
There was a beat of silence before she caught my gaze and said, “I’m so happy you’re here.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. I liked being here—I mean, heck, I could shower without getting a wing cramp!—but I still wished all of this would disappear so I could go back to living a normal life. “How many cousins do I have?”
“Many.”
“I’m not used to having a big family.”
“I know.” Azura set her fork down. “I’m sorry for that.”
“Do you have more brothers or sisters? A father?”
“My father passed away a while ago.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“Lorella is my only sibling. We grew up very close.”
“That’s nice.” I had always wanted a sister. Sierra was the closest thing I had to one.
“Why don’t you go get ready now?” Azura suggested with a hint of sadness in her voice. For the first time, I realized that Azura was alone all this time, and she never had any other children to keep her busy. She just watched and waited for me. That couldn’t have been easy.
Back upstairs, I looked through all the dresses and settled on a sleeveless light blue dress that touched right above my knee. I couldn’t believe how perfectly it fit. I searched the bottom of the closet for shoes, and then remembered faeries preferred not to wear them. I’d be going barefoot. I loved that.