by Rue Volley
He shrugged his shoulders. “You have your way, I got mine,” Josh said.
“Well yours sucks,” I muttered.
“Who the hell are you... dude?”
We all turned to see Kai standing on the stairs, yawning, rubbing his head. He had conveniently not put a shirt on and was barefooted with his gray sweatpants on, hanging way too low.
Josh stood up, probably considering some mind meld with him.
I decided to put my foot down and said, “Don't you dare,” as I pointed my finger at Josh.
Kai came towards us, at the same time giving Sam a wink. She grumbled.
“Kai, this is Josh, Samantha's brother,” I said.
Kai plopped down on the couch. He looked to Josh.
“What's up dude? Guess you got the magic touch too?” Kai said as he yawned.
Josh just gave him the ‘dude’ nod. Followed by a fist bump.
I stood there with my hands on my hips.
“Really? I get the full throttle tour in freak town and Kai gets a fist bump?” I asked him.
“Well, he seems cool enough,” Josh said as he grinned at me.
“Unbelievable,” I muttered.
I sat down and came back to the real issue.
“We need to go and see mom,” I said.
Samantha and Josh exchanged looks.
“What was that look?” I said.
Sam sat down next to me. ”Listen Rue, we went to Rolling River. Grace is not there.”
“Where the hell is she?” I said.
“We don't know yet,” Sam said.
Josh had gotten up and was rummaging through our fridge he stumbled on some pop. He held it up.
“No beer?” he asked.
Kai got up, “Yea, there's some in the bottom, just get past the left overs.”
“Cool, thanks,” Josh said.
He came walking back into the living room.
“Probably nowhere good,” he muttered.
I got pissed; Josh was so nonchalant about everything.
“What does that mean?” I said.
“Well a lot of bad vibes in that room can't be a good sign,” he said.
“Take me there,” I said, as I stared at Josh.
Samantha put a hand on my leg, “Listen, let us handle this. You don't know what you’re doing, K?”
“I know enough,” I said.
“She's not asking Rue, she's telling you,” Josh said in an even tone. I didn't like it.
I looked over to Josh; he was taking a gulp of his beer.
“I wasn't talking to you,” I said.
He smiled at me again.
Sam stood up, “You and Kai just need to go back to school tomorrow.”
“What?” I said.
“Yep that's the plan,” Sam said, like she had really become my mother.
“I'm not... I don't even care about that!” I said, my voice getting louder.
“Well you need to. This town has a glamor on it right now, we are not going to cause any interruptions in that,” she said, as she looked at me.
“Remember what happened at the party?” I nodded. “And in the woods?” I looked down at my hands.
Josh started to laugh under his breath.
“You need to shut up!” I said as I shot him a look.
“I'm a black hole…” Josh did the “lock the lips and throw away the key” move.
“Rue, things cannot be messed with here. I look like Grace to everyone now, well, except to you three, but anyway, memories have been changed for everyone. For all these people know, Grace has always been here raising you and Kai alone,” Sam said.
“What... like my dad never existed?” I asked her. Her face softened, she looked like she cared.
“Not for any of them,” Sam said. I raised my hands up and stared at her.
“So, we are just supposed to go to school and act like everything is normal?” I asked her.
“You only have one week and then Josh and I will be freed up to try to figure this all out.”
“Why did you bring him,” I pointed at Josh, “now then?”
“Oh he'll be at school with you,” Sam said with a grin on her face.
Josh got up and though his empty can away. He turned back to me... “Yep, get to it little girl, we got school in four hours.”
I stood up, looking at Josh.
“You've got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
***
I lay down and tried to sleep. I really did but Johnathan kept creeping up in my mind. I spent some of my time telling myself that the lucky encounter we had in my bedroom, was just that, lucky. I could not have him here, with two supernatural freaks in the house. Who am I? A freak too, awesome.
Then I remembered what Josh said about mom. Where would she be? Where was my dad? Then I got pissed again about Josh just taking from me. Taking things that didn't belong to him. How dare he do that!
All this was going round and round and then I must have drifted off to sleep.
“Time to rock and roll Rue Volley.”
I rolled over, hair sticking straight up on my head. Blinking a few times I realized Josh was standing in my doorway. When I sat up, my blanket pulled off of me and all I had on was a sheer cami.
I got irritated in ten seconds flat. I pulled my blanket up super quick.
“Excuse me… my room.” I waved an arm at him, “I realize that you feel as if people are your playground but…”
Josh laughed, “You are feisty.”
I just stared daggers at him, and followed that with a flying pillow. He ducked, still laughing and walked down the hallway.
“Dick.” I muttered.
I got cleaned up faster than usual. To tell you the truth, I dreaded the thought of going back to school. Oh god... Josh. I should fake the flu. No they wouldn’t buy it. I should knock him out and put him in the trunk of the car. Shit. I’ll just get dressed. This was fruitless. I threw on my ‘I'm with stoopid’ T-shirt, hoping to keep Josh on the side of the arrow. I ran downstairs just in time to experience Kai, still trying to cast a spell on Sam.
“I don't date boys under seventy-five.” Sam said as she smiled. Guess she could hold her own.
“It'll be like what, fifty years before that happens?” Kai shot back at her.
I walked up next to him and gave him the arrow.
Sam looked at my shirt and smiled at me.
“Exactly.” she said bluntly.
Kai, ever confused said, “I guarantee I'll wear you down.”
“Very doubtful,”
Sam grabbed the keys and yelled out to Josh. He came jumping down the stairs, with a backpack.
He looked to her, then at me.
“I'm gonna get my learn on,” he said.
I rolled my eyes, and out the door we went.
We rolled up to Calvary High School. Josh and Sam started to laugh.
“What?” I said.
“Really... Calvary? I'm just loving the irony in this glamour,” Josh had his hand up to his mouth.
“Well I'm sooo glad you are getting a kick out of our reality here,” I said.
Josh looked to Sam, then back to me.
“Listen... I already know about the Caine and Abel reference (he winked at me). Now Calvary, someone helped your parents set this glamor. Had to, unless William and Grace did it on purpose but, I don't believe that. This glamor is almost as strong as the one placed on Valon. It would have taken a lot of energy to build it. I think we have another protector here.”
Sam looked at him for a moment.
“Funny,” I muttered.
“Hey!” Kai said in protest.
“Get out of the car,” Sam started laughing at him.
We all got out and started up the concrete steps. We made it about six before I could hear Sara. Here she comes, oh god.
She came jumping up to the three of us, huge smile on her face.
“Rue!” she gave me hug. While she was pulling away from me, she started to eyeball Josh, of co
urse.
She looked at him then to me, back to him.
“Soooo...” she crooned.
“Oh yea, Sara… this is… ummm… my cousin Josh, he's from Arizona, came to stay for the summer. Just came to umm, finish tests and stuff… ya know?”
Sara stared at me for a moment. (Please take the bait… please take the bait... please) I was crossing my fingers.
“Ohhhh... well I am Sara, Rue's BFF, from like a hundred years ago. Sooo happy you came to visit us here. Can't say it's exciting or anything, but I'd be glad to show you around.” She put all her emphasis on the word glad.
I grabbed her arm, smiling back at Josh. “Oh, I'm sure we can all spend plenty of time checking out all the crazy in this town. Summer’s pretty much here, ya know?” I said as I dragged her with me and glanced back at Josh, who just gave me a crooked grin. I held up one finger at him and mouthed no. He just held up his hands mouthing back, what?
First, second and third period went by too slow, but without incident. I started to believe that we were in the clear but then lunch came and without the confines of a classroom, there were just too many people to run into, with too much fake conversation. I wanted to leave and just grab a frozen burrito across the street, at the mini mart, but Josh wanted to stay and do the lunchtime crap. I protested, but somehow he won. We grabbed food in line, it was taco hell day and we went for the outdoor oasis, in the sun. I started to raise my meatless taco to my mouth (swear to god it was dog food… I wasn't going to eat that) and I dropped it on my plate. There he was, Johnathan. I'm thinking, ‘What the hell is he doing here?’ I then remembered Johnathan had left Barrington, for good by his account.
“Ahhh… that's… ” Josh said.
“Shut up,” I whispered.
“I promise you, I had nothing bad to say.” Josh was shoving his third Taco in his mouth.
“Oh, I'm sure,” I sighed.
“I have much respect for that boy. He really knows how to get you going,” Josh said.
I hit him in the arm, he ‘owed’, it was a lie, I was sure it didn't hurt but I wish it had. I really did.
“Hello Rue Volley,” Johnathan said.
I looked up and my heart skipped a beat. There Johnathan was, looking, looking, so… well you know. I looked down at my shirt and realized the arrow was pointing away from Josh. Shit.
“Hi... hi Johnathan. This is Josh, my uh… cousin from Arizona,” I said.
Johnathan looked at Josh.
“Whats up?” Josh was still shoving food his mouth, god.
“Cousin… huh? How long are you here?” I couldn't help but notice Johnathan getting a little irritated.
“Summer, Just came to beat the boredom, our school’s out. Thought I'd hang with my little cousin here...”
Josh put his arm around me, giving me a side hug.
I had an ‘I just ate dog poo’ look on my face I'm sure, but I let him finish shaking me like a baby.
“So, you’re Johnathan?” Josh asked.
Johnathan looked to me and then back to him.
“Guess I am... I'm Johnathan.” He got a crooked smile on his face.
“Rue here has told me about you.” He was still chewing, god how many did he put on his plate? Pig.
Johnathan smiled at me, “Really.”
“Yea, you two must be tight. She goes on... and...” I hit him under the table.
Josh grunted, “Yea, well… umm… Rue, I think I'm gonna hit the cafeteria one more time before next class”
“Okay, see you inside Josh.” He got up to walk away and I turned my head toward him, mentally giving him the finger.
“So...” Johnathan said. I sighed.
Oh yea Johnathan was still there. Crap.
I just looked up at him; the sun was halfway through the sky forming a halo around his head… My heart skipped a beat.
“So… your cousin huh?” he asked me.
“Yea he's here for the summer… Him and Kai are gonna hang out… do guy stuff or something.”
“Good,” he said.
“Good?” I asked.
“Yea I was starting to think maybe you'd be held up, entertaining him all summer. Not what I had in mind,” he said.
I started fidgeting with my hands. Johnathan came around the table and sat way too close for comfort. He leaned in, close to my ear.
“I couldn't sleep last night. Could you?” he whispered.
My heart sped up, hands got sweaty, I stammered. Not exactly the cool chick vibe I wanted to give out.
“No, well, yea I guess. A little, not much though,” I said.
Johnathan reached under the table and took my hand in his. Awesome, no tear in the universe opened up! Great, Sam’s binding on him was holding. Thank god, but for how long?
I looked at him, I knew he was looking at me, I could feel it. Then he whispered,
“I want to kiss you right now.” I bit my lip, hard.
Truth was I wanted to, really bad, but I didn't think this was the best spot to fall into a black hole with him.
“I... I… don't think that's the best idea,” I whispered.
“Why?” he asked me.
“Well…” I looked around, “We have a lot of company,” I said as I scanned the other tables.
“None that I care about,” Johnathan said. Easy for him, he doesn't go to school here.
“Rue... and ohhhhh, hello Johnathan!”
We both looked up; I'm sure our faces were flush and saw Sara standing on the other side of the table.
“Oh, hi Sara.” I let go of Johnathan's hand, as I picked up my water bottle, taking a swig. A big swig.
She sat down. Of course she did, it was like she was watching a movie, some lovey-dovey smochie flick on Valentine’s Day.
“So Johnathan, I didn't know you'd be here our last week,” Sara said to him as she grinned.
“Yea... yea, my mom is pissed about me leaving school. She told me to come here, at least until summer break,” he said.
Sara smiled, “Kinda worthless, don't ya think...? It's all tests and pep rallies and stuff.”
Johnathan ran his hands through his hair, “Yea... pretty much… I think she just did it to torture me.”
Sara laughed.
“So... Rue, everyone is getting together next weekend at the park, Red Woods, celebrating freedom!”
My heart rate shot through the roof. “Ohhh, well I don't know, we may be going out of town or something, I'll have to check,” I said.
“Oh come on Rue, it'll be fun! Bonfire and stuff... and things, you know, things and stuff!” Sara said all excited.
Johnathan smiled at me. I knew he didn't remember the woods, the kiss, then every crazy thing after…
“Yea… Sara we'll be there,” Johnathan said.
Sara looked at me with the biggest smile she ever had.
“Awesome, do you think Josh will come?” she scanned the yard.
“I'll see if he,” she spotted him coming back at us. “Ohhh, Josh hey…” she called out to him.
She ran over stopping him dead. I could see him looking at me, then to her.
Sara looked back and winked at me, mouthing, “call me later,” with the oh so famous phone to the ear move.
Shit...
I sat still looking down, I wasn't mad, not even scared at the thought of an accidental repeat. Truth was I was excited. Hell, I shouldn't have been, but I was. Nervously excited.
Johnathan leaned back into my ear, “We have a date now,” he whispered. I felt his breath.
I smiled and sucked in a little air.
“Yeah… looks that way,” I whispered back.
As Josh was making his way back to us, the bell rang, I jumped up like it was do or die.
I walked away from him, heading in Josh’s direction.
“Looks like I have a party this weekend.” Josh said.
“Looks like we both do,” I said in passing. “Come on we're gonna be late.”
I sat in Lit class. We were pre
tty much in free time at this point but we had been given one last assignment for extra credit. It's too ironic that it revolved around romance. Of course it would, why not.
This time last week, my short story would be so foreign; I would have laughed at the thought of trying to write this first hand. I started to put pen to paper and decided to try.
He doesn't know me, but I know him.
From the first thought of him I knew he owned me, everything I am.
I knew he would invade every part of me, consuming me in his light.
I want to be with him every moment of the day, every second throughout time itself.
I cannot remember a day before him but cannot imagine another day without him here with me.
“Rue Volley?”
I looked up to see Mrs. Harris staring at me.
“Yes?” I asked as I raised my eyebrows at her. I bit the end of my pen.
“Want to share…? Looks as if you took extra credit serious,” she looked around the room, “unlike most.”
“Ummm. I'm not, I don't know... I'm not finished yet,” I muttered to her.
“Oh I am sure whatever you have will suffice. Come on up dear, share with the class.”
I decided what the hell; no one knew what I was talking about. The boys would ignore it anyway and the girls would be daydreaming about some glittery vampire. I grabbed my paper and made it to the front of the room. I looked down at my words, preparing to give my little show and tell. The door opened and Johnathan peeked in. Mrs. Harris looked at him, from above her glasses.
“Are you lost young man?” she asked him.
Johnathan looked at a paper in his hand. ”Ummm, no… I was sent here, seems they just need to put me somewhere.”
Mrs. Harris held out her hand, so Johnathan brought the paper over to her. I was a deer in headlights.
You've got to be shitting me. He is not in here, not now.
She looked it over, “Well, Johnathan Graph, looks as if you came just in time, Rue here was about to share a masterpiece with the class.” She smiled at me.
She looked back at Johnathan, “Well... take a seat, wherever you can find one.”
Johnathan walked to the middle and sat three people back, next to the only other empty seat vacated by me.