"I'm glad you came. You look really nice tonight." His fingers brushed my arm and I cleared my throat, uncomfortable.
"Thanks."
"Look, I'm sorry about how I acted the other night. I didn't mean to make things weird. I was a jerk." He took a sip of his drink and my chest tightened.
"What’s that?" I asked. My heart started beating faster, the blood rushing to my face. The stench of the cup's contents assaulted my nose, putting my whole body on edge.
"Oh, this?" He took a step back, his hand covering the top of the paper cup. "It's nothing." His easy smile was back, but his eyes were guarded.
"Are you drinking?" My heart was racing now. Images began dancing behind my eyes.
The car careening out of nowhere, not even giving me enough time to scream.
Flashing blue and red lights.
Faces hovering above me as I lay bleeding on the ground.
Me, screaming for my dad.
My eyes burned, blurred by the tears that threatened to spill over. I was having another attack, and couldn't do anything about it. I was barely aware of Cameron still standing in front of me until he spoke again.
"Kendall, it's not what you think."
My head snapped up, and my eyes re-focused. There was nothing he could say to stop the anger pulsing through my body.
My fists clenched at my sides. "Don't you dare make up excuses! You know how I feel about that ... that ..." I sucked in a breath, trying to keep myself under control.
His eyes widened, and he glanced around. "Hey, don't be like this. I'm sorry. I didn't even think about your dad when I picked it up. It was stupid." Avoiding my eyes, he dumped the liquid into the grass a few feet away. "Look. Problem solved."
"You think this is just about my dad? Do you even remember what happened to me?"
"Kendall–" he started.
"I was in that accident too, Cameron."
He hesitated. "I know that. I know you're still upset that your dad died. I can't imagine what that feels like, but you need to move on. You're alive. You're fine.”
"I'm not fine, Cam. Especially right now." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "Do you remember what caused the accident?"
"Yes, but–"
"My dad died because of a drunk driver. Because some stupid teenager thought it would be okay to drink and drive." My jaw clenched, and my body shook with rage. "My dad died, and the other driver walked away without a scratch!"
He grabbed my arm and leaned closer, the alcohol on his breath overwhelming, making me dizzy. "I wasn't going to drive home, Kendall. I'm not that stupid."
"It doesn't matter! Do you have any idea what the sight or the smell of that does to me?" I noticed people watching us, but I didn't care.
He put his hands on my shoulders, his fingers digging in to my skin. "Calm down. People are looking," he growled.
I shrugged away. "Don't tell me to calm down." I was breathing hard, holding my tears back.
"Come on, Kendall." He glanced around again. "Let me take you home and we can talk about this. Just not here in front of everyone. People are staring."
"There is no way I'm getting into a car with you."
His eyes widened. "I only had a sip! Quit making such a big deal out of nothing." He grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the house.
"Let me go!"
He stopped. "No. I'm not going to let you embarrass me!"
"Wait!"
He started walking again, dragging me with him. "Quit being stubborn and come on!"
I dug my heels into the ground. "Cameron! You're hurting me!"
His nails dug into my skin and no matter how hard I tried, he wouldn't let go. "Cameron!" I looked around, seeing people watching us. Why wouldn't anyone help me? I tried in vain to pull away. "Cameron, let–"
Before I could get the rest out, Cameron's hand ripped away from my arm, and he flew backwards over the swimming pool. He screamed, but he wasn’t falling in. Instead he dangled above it, fingertips skimming the water, feet straight up in the air.
The wind blew furiously around the yard, trees bending so much the tops almost touched the ground.
"What the ..." I glanced over, and saw Ash.
He stood a few feet away, arms up as his chest rose and fell with deep angry breaths. His eyes were blazing, focused on Cameron, who still hung upside down in the air. Wind swirled around him, pulling on his clothes, whipping through his hair. My eyes stung, and I shielded my face as the wind grew stronger.
"Let him go!" I yelled, hoping he could hear me over the windstorm.
Ash met my eyes, his jaw clenched. His eyes looked darker than normal. He glanced at Cameron, frowned, and dropped his arm.
Cameron splashed headfirst into the pool.
The wind stopped.
"Are you crazy?" I yelled at Ash. Cameron coughed and sputtered as he made his way to the side of the pool. "Cameron, are you okay?" I asked.
His eyes narrowed and he pulled himself up the ladder. "You're asking if I'm okay after you pushed me in?" He climbed out of the pool, took his shirt off, and started ringing it out. Water splashed on my shoes and I took a step back, confused.
"I didn't push you–" I started.
"Oh, so I magically fell in the pool?"
I had no idea what to say. Had he seriously forgotten what happened? I looked around. No one seemed to notice anything unusual.
"I swear, I didn't–"
"Oh, just forget it." He slipped his shoes off, not looking at me. "You know what, Kendall? Maybe your mom should put you back into counseling. You have major issues. I'm sorry your dad died, but this isn't about him. It's about you. Being all paranoid about nothing."
I flinched as if I'd been slapped. "Cameron, I'm–"
He put up a hand. "I said, forget it. I'm sick of you leading me on and then screwing me over every time," he said.
"Cameron!"
He ignored me and walked back in the house. I noticed Tessa standing at the edge of the pool, her eyes huge. She hesitated before coming over to me.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "What happened?"
"I'm fine," I lied. I was barely holding it together.
"I saw him grab your arm, Kendall. Do you need me to go chew him out?" She scowled toward the house.
"It's fine. I said some things I shouldn't have."
"That doesn’t make it okay," she said. "Come find me when you're ready to go. I'm going to talk to him."
"Tessa, wait!" I watched her walk toward the house, and knew she'd talk to Cameron anyway.
When she was out of sight, I realized Ash was still there. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him shift nervously.
"Kendall," he started.
"Don't you say a word," I said, shielding my face with my hands.
"Kendall, wait!"
Furious, I headed around the front of the house, knowing full well that Ash was following me. I wiped angry tears from my eyes, and refused to look at anyone in the yard.
"What was that all about?" Ash asked, appearing next to me.
"I'm fine, Ash. Get over it."
"If you were fine, you wouldn't be crying."
I shook my head, not wanting to talk to anyone. Especially him. "Leave me alone!"
He stepped in front of me, hands on his hips. "You aren't walking home by yourself," he said.
"I am, too." I stepped around him and started walking again.
"No, you aren't."
"What the heck were you thinking back there? Did you not see all those people watching Cameron dangle in the air?"
"They saw Cameron fall in the pool. That's it."
"You were way out of line, Ash.”
He sighed. "He grabbed your arm."
"I was fine!"
"That isn't true and you know it. You clearly didn't want to go with him. You should have punched him or something. Haven't you always wanted to punch someone?"
I let out a breath of frustration. "How can you possibly know that?"
&
nbsp; He shrugged. "Your file."
"Screw the file! You don't know anything about me! Just stupid things! Things that don't matter!"
He hesitated before taking a step toward me. "I know you're having a melt-down right now."
"Seriously, go away!" I yelled, turning away from him.
"Kendall. You aren't walking home in the dark."
I ignored him and quickened my pace. I was halfway down the street, and still had quite a ways to go. Home was pretty far, but there was no way I was going back in that stupid house to find Tessa. And I couldn't face Cameron again.
"You aren't my mother," I snapped. I wiped my eyes, no doubt smearing mascara all over my hand.
"I don't care if I'm not your mother. You aren't walking four miles by yourself at night. "
I walked faster, and heard his hurried footsteps as he tried to keep up with me. Could you wish away fairies? Because that's exactly what I wanted to do.
"I'm not a child, Ash." I rubbed my arms, trying to focus on the cold rather than my nervous breakdown. My whole body was shaking, and my eyes were still moist from the tears that kept falling. I felt my chest tighten, my heart speeding up.
"You're worse than a child. You're a teenager having an emotional breakdown," he said. "Which is why I'm taking you home right now."
I turned around to see him pull out his wand. "Go away."
"Quit being so stubborn and let me help you."
"I swear, Ash, if you don't leave me alone right now, I'm going to lose it."
"You're already losing it, Kendall! Calm down and take a deep breath. Sit down if you have to. You're having a panic attack."
My breath came in gasps now, and I bent over, putting my head between my knees. I was sure Ash had left me since I couldn't hear him anymore, and I cried even harder.
Then I felt a hand on my back. "Take some deep breaths, Kendall. I'm right here."
He moved his hand in little circles. His deep voice was soothing, and I focused on only that. I didn't realize how much I needed him with me at that moment. "You're okay." His breath tickled my cheek. He smelled like rain again, and I inhaled. The scent of it relaxed me a little.
"Please, give me a minute," I said. My breathing slowed, my nerves calmed.
I'm not sure how long I stayed on the ground like that, but I was very aware of how close Ash was. He didn't say anything for a while, just continued to rub circles around my back. I glanced over at him. He was kneeling next to me. I managed a small smile, and his worried eyes met mine.
"Kendall?" His voice was careful, cautious.
I looked up again. Ash's features were blurry through my tears, but he was still there. He hadn't run or disappeared. Even when I pushed him he didn't leave me. He stayed.
"I'm going to take you home now, okay?"
I put my hand in his. It felt good there. Safe. He interlaced our fingers and gave me a small smile.
"You ready?"
I nodded.
"Hold on tight."
The world began to spin. I couldn't help myself. I screamed and squeezed his hand so tight I thought I might break it. It was the strangest sensation I had ever felt. Like the ground opened up and swallowed me whole, then spit me back out. My eyes were shut, but I could still feel Ash's hand in mine. His thumb ran over mine, letting me know he was still there.
"You can open your eyes now," he said. His tone was subdued, and I did as he said.
We were standing in my front yard. He searched my face, and didn't let go of my hand.
I didn't want him to.
"You okay?"
It took me a while, but I finally found my voice. "How did you do that?"
He sighed. "I'm a fairy, remember?"
"Right. Thanks."
"No problem. You should probably get in the house, though. It's 11:59."
I rolled my eyes, remembering my stupid curfew. It's not like my mom even cared when I got home anymore. She didn't seem to worry about me at all lately.
I was hesitant to let go of his hand, but did anyway. I started toward the door and looked back to see if Ash was following me. He was gone.
"Kendall! You scared me to death!" My mom sat in the recliner, working on some cross-stitching. I was actually surprised to see her home.
"Sorry."
"Tessa called," she said. I saw something like confusion on her face. "Didn't she go with you?"
I cleared my throat. "Yes. I just left early." The fact that Tessa had called made me feel better. She really was a good friend. I felt a stab of guilt at leaving her at the party.
She stood and walked over to me. "Honey, I know you're still upset about dad, but we need to start moving on. Especially you. You seem to be taking it harder than any of us."
"Of course I am," I said. "It was my fault. Or have you forgotten that?"
"It wasn't your fault." She paused, her mouth in a thin line as she searched my face. "Do we need to go see Dr. Grey again?"
"I'm fine, mom. I don't need a shrink. Especially one that's more interested in dating you than talking to me."
Her eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything. "Go to bed, Kendall. You look tired."
The conversation was over. I turned around and trudged up to my bedroom, my eyes brimming with tears again. Every time we argued, she just sent me to my room. She didn't like to talk about things. I wish she did. That's what mothers were for. I know she held me responsible for what happened to my dad, but she never admitted it.
I shut the door behind me and slid to the floor, burying my face in my hands.
I heard someone move across the room, and didn't even look up. I knew it was Ash.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I glanced up, meeting his eyes. "Do I look okay to you?"
"I know it’s a stupid question, but I had to ask." He sat down next to me, his shoulder touching mine.
I exhaled. “My mom's so different now. I don’t even know what to say to her anymore.”
He didn’t say anything to that. I’m sure he was so sick of my stupid problems.
"I'm sorry about tonight,” he said, surprising me. “Especially for pushing Cameron in the pool. Or, flinging him would probably be more accurate."
"He would have gone in either way," I said. My laugh sounded more like a hiccup.
"I should have waited for you to push him in, then."
"I'm too big of a wimp. I'm not strong enough to do anything anymore."
I saw his arm lift, like he wanted to touch me, but he quickly put it down and folded his arms.
"Sure you are. Did you see all those people watching you tell him off?"
"Yes."
"It was awesome."
I nodded, but couldn't talk or even look at him. A tear rolled down my cheek.
"Don't cry," he said. "He's not worth it." He reached out, wiping it away.
"You don't understand, Ash. Look at me. I'm a mess. Who would ever want to be with someone like me?"
"Personally, I don't think he's your type."
"Oh, really? What exactly would my type be, Mr. Matchmaker?" I glared at him, and for once, saw a vulnerable look on his face.
His body tensed, but he turned to look at me. His eyes swept over my face. I was sure I looked like crap. And he looked tired.
I swallowed, knowing if I looked at his silvery eyes, my mind would wander where it shouldn't. Ash was off limits. I had to keep reminding myself of that. First off, he was a fairy. Secondly, he was way too good-looking to be with me.
"For starters," he said. "He'd open the door for you when you got in the car. Take you out to dinner once in a while. Instead of having you 'help' him with his homework."
"That's not–"
He put a finger to my lips to silence me. "I’m not finished."
I felt the blood rush to my face and swallowed. His eyes were intense, focused on only me.
"Sorry," I said, trying to keep the tremor from my voice.
His eyes searched mine. He looked so serious. "Then," he started
. "I ... I mean he would take you on a walk somewhere nice, just holding your hand and enjoying your company. He'd notice the little things about you."
I snorted. "Like what?"
"You know, the way you chew your lip when you're nervous, or the way you twist your hair when you aren't sure what to say. The way you raise one eyebrow when you're confused, or clamp your lips together when you want to laugh at something, but can't because you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. The way you blush when you’re embarrassed."
I stopped biting my lip and stared at him. "Was all that in my file too?"
The corner of his mouth turned up and he gave me a crooked smile. "No. You were right about the file. Screw it."
I chuckled. “Thanks." I was secretly pleased, but didn't want him to know, so I kept my expression neutral.
He laughed nervously and continued. "Anyway, about your true love. He'd take you to a quiet place, and tell you how much you meant to him. Not in some cheesy movie way, but a real, honest way."
"You're a romantic," I said.
"Not really. Anyway, then he'd kiss you. Not just any kiss, but, you know ..." He cleared his throat. "The kiss of true love or whatever. Just like all the stories."
"Um ..." I couldn't help staring at his lips while he said that last part.
He leaned toward me, his breath tickling my ear. "Isn't that what you want?"
My heart thumped so hard in my chest that I was afraid he could hear it. I couldn't talk, I could barely even breathe. I didn't dare move. He was so close, yet too far away for me to reach. We were inches apart until he backed away slowly, our eyes never leaving each other. Looking nervous, he cleared his throat again. He stood and ran a hand through his hair.
"I should go," he said.
"Ash," I started.
He pulled his wand out, waiting.
"Thank you. For everything."
He nodded. "I'll see you ... later," he said.
And he was gone.
Chapter 11
Ash
I stomped through the courtyard, ignoring curious stares from people. I passed a centaur, who nodded at me, and pushed through a bunch of gnomes on their way to class.
I didn't really get into gnome mythology or all that. I didn't know why centaurs had human chests and heads, but a horse's butt. I wasn't even sure why elves had pointy ears, and I was best friends with one. I didn't know why people like me had magic, and others didn't. All I knew was that this fairy business was playing with my head, and not in a good way.
Not Your Average Fairy Tale (Not Your Average Fairy Tale #1) Page 9