by Rue Volley
I sat up. “Oh shit. Josh hey, ever heard of knocking. My room, remember?”
Josh stood up laughing.
“Sorry, was I interrupting you?”
“I... I... don't know what you mean?” I said.
“Oh I see, was that before the ‘please don't stop’ or the ‘Ohhhh Johnathan’?”
I swear my face went apple red.
“Shut up,” I muttered.
Josh started to laugh. Then he sat back down, next to me.
“Listen Rue, I know Sam told you some stuff. She told me.”
“Yeah... yeah we talked after you left.” I was trying to straighten myself up, but truth was, I was still flustered from my X-rated romp with Johnathan.
“Well… I just wanted you to know that I'm on point.”
“On point?”
He looked at me.
“Yea, I'm not leaving; we'll figure this out together. Guess I started to think about the fact that Sam and I are all you guys have right now. I just wanted you to know that I won't be leaving. I'm here to help.”
“Thanks Josh... I'm glad.”
“Yea… you’re cool Rue; I don't know anyone who could have accepted all this stuff so fast without going crazy.”
“Thanks.”
He stood up, “Well, let’s get some pizza.”
“Okay?”
“Listen your brother is a shitty cook.”
He winked at me and left the room.
I had to laugh... then I remembered my dream. God how embarrassing.
Kai reluctantly called for pizza. He tried to convince everyone that he could whip up something amazing, but Sam put her charm on him, telling him she just didn't want for him to have to go through the trouble. He accepted it, go figure. If it had been me, I would have been choking down some wicked concoction.
We all sat in silence, eating every piece; I didn't even realize how much I ate until I was done... kind of impressed myself. I think I must have impressed Josh too, because I kept catching him looking at me, impressed that I could keep up with boys. Sam only ate a couple slices; she seemed to have other things she wanted to get to. I sat there knowing I should feel like a pig, but knew I could eat more if I really wanted to.
“So?”
I looked over to Sam who had migrated to the couch.
“Who me?” I asked.
“Yea… listen so how long have you known Noble?” Sam said as she leaned back.
“Oh Mr. Noble…? He's been working at the library forever.”
“Have you spoken to him a lot?” she asked me.
“Not at first I guess, but yea, he offered books for me to read. I spent a lot of time there before… ya know.”
“What kind of books?” she asked me.
“Oh I don't know... history, physics stuff, some of it I needed for school, but he offered other books, things he said I'd find interesting. I thought he just liked me because I spent a lot of time there, not a lot of kids do.”
“Did he give you the spooky Adda story?”
I just looked at her, then to Josh.
“Well… come to think of it, he filled in the blanks. I spent some days reading about Johnathan’s family. When he saw that I was interested, he started bringing me genealogy stuff, you know Family Tree books, history of Johnathan's tree, going back to Sophia Graph.”
Sam looked at Josh.
“Well… looks as if we found a change in the glamor.”
I walked over to the couch and sat down next to her.
“A change?” I asked. She sat up.
“Yea… let’s see the easiest way to explain it would be to show you.”
Sam walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass and filled it in the sink. She picked up a stray piece of sausage left in a pizza box. She came back in and sat the glass on the table in front of me. I looked at it, kinda confused.
“Okay, so here's a glass of water, it represents time and a place. So…” She bumped the table, “you see how the water moves?”
I nodded.
“Well that's normal, all time moves, things will change it, sometimes something will happen to trigger it to change, but it comes back into shape and becomes still again. A glamor freezes moments, and because it freezes it can also be broken, just like ice. You see normally glamour’s are used to change a problem within a small space, changing perception, but other than Valon, nothing this big has ever held. A glamor was put on this town from the time you were little but...” She bumped the table again rippling the water, “it seems that Clark tinkered around with you, causing ripples in it.”
I looked at the glass.
“I understand, but why would Clark start changing things?”
“Well, that's what I am trying to figure out. Obviously, he and your parents did this together, so for him to get you interested in Caine is just weird.”
Sam held the sausage out in her hand then dropped it in the water.
I looked at her, not knowing where this was going.
“This was when Clark started to change things. You wait long enough and that piece of sausage will start to dissolve in the water. It started dissolving when your Father popped up in Valon and continued on until I found you in the woods. It's still dissolving and will keep changing now.”
She looked to Josh, “We don't know how long the glamor will hold. I had to change today, because I realized I no longer looked like Grace to everyone here.”
“You didn't do that on purpose?” I asked.
“No...”
Kai came in, one piece of pizza in his hand.
“What was a glamor again?” he asked.
Sam rolled her eye. She looked at Josh, “Just do it.”
He smiled and placed a hand on Kai’s head. It only took a second.
Kai stepped back.
“Dude, I don't go that way.”
Josh just laughed, “Me either, just easier then talking.”
“Well, I understand a glamor now. Try to just talk next time... cool?” Kai said.
Josh was still laughing.
“Trust me Kai; we're cool, no funny business going on here.”
Sam chimed in.
“I hate to break up this ‘I'm not gay’ thing you boys have going on, but we should get to the library. Noble may be there...”
We all looked at each other.
I stood up thinking it was an invitation.
“No Rue, you stay here.”
“Why?” I asked her.
“Listen we have already established that you are the ripple. Just hang out here, Josh can stay with you.”
“I don't think so sis.” Josh didn't look like he was going to go along with it.
“Someone needs to stay here with her Josh.”
“Ummm excuse me, I'm seventeen, I think I can manage hanging in the house alone.”
Josh looked back at Sam, “See,” he muttered.
Sam looked at both of us, “Alright Rue… you can hang here alone I guess, but anything funny happens and you call right away… got me?”
“Got you,” I said as I saluted her. Josh smiled.
“We're taking Kai with us. Need one person who looks familiar in this town, good cover, we'll be on tour here.”
“Yep, I'll be the guide,” Kai said, too excited to hang out with Sam.
“You've never even been there Kai!” I yelled.
Kai looked at me.
“Well there's always a first time, besides, I have a feeling I'll get to see some action.”
Sam nudged him, “No action, just looking around.”
“Sure… okay,” Kai said as he grinned.
“I mean it… both of you,” Sam said.
Josh and Kai looked at each other and both looked back at her, with big smiles on their faces.
In unison they said, “Promise.”
Sam lifted her hands above her head and started to chant...
“What are you doing?” I asked.
She stopped to look at me. “Binding.”
&
nbsp; “Would you please stop, I won't go anywhere, just save your voodoo.”
She put her hands down.
“Promise Rue?”
“I promise Sam, I'll just hang out.”
“Okay, we will give this a trial run, but if I come back and you’re not here…”
“Won't happen,” I said.
She wanted to believe me, I'm sure, so she headed out the door with Kai and Josh on her tail.
I headed back up to my room; decided a hot bath was in order. Truth was I was sweating when I woke up and I just felt so gross. I wouldn't trade the dream for anything but the sweat, ewww grossness.
Once the tub was filled I got in. God, why didn't I do this more often? So much better than a shower, I swear. I laid my head back and put a hot washcloth on my face when I heard my phone going off. I should have just let it go to voice mail, but I jumped out, almost biting it on the floor. I stumbled over to it and hit the button.
“Hello?”
“Hi Rue.” It was Johnathan voice on the other end.
“Oh, hi Johnathan...”
“Bad time again?”
“No... no, ummm, I was in the bathtub.”
“Really.”
We kinda let that set for a moment. I didn't know what he was thinking, but I knew where my mind went, all the wrong places.
“Yea I ummm, my neck hurt.” (Really Rue? Your neck hurt, what are you, eighty years old!)
“Neck huh, well I could try to help with that,” he said.
“Ohh… no really, the hot water is making it much better now.”
“Okay, well thought I'd offer,” he said, I could hear him grin, just knew it.
“What...? They teach massage at Barrington?” I asked him
“No… no, I just, well, I've had girls tell me they feel much better, ya know, after I've rubbed their shoulders. Guess I'm good at it or something.”
“So, is this a side business you have going on, rubbing girls and stuff?”
He started laughing.
“If I didn't know any better, I would say that's jealousy rearing it's pretty head.”
I smiled, he couldn't see that but I felt like he could.
“No, I don't get jealous, I mean whats the point? Wasted energy.”
“Yea, I believe that too,” Johnathan responded.
We sat there in a strange silence for a moment.
“Want me to come over?”
Without hesitation I whispered, “Yes.”
We hung up, just as quick.
I remembered Sam's haunting words, “I don't know how long it will hold.”
Well shit.
***
Sam pulled the car up to front of the library. All three of them looked up the steps leading to two huge doors on the front. The building itself looked cryptic, something you'd see in a movie, a building much grander than what you would expect in a small town.
“Well... have to hand it to Noble, he does have style.”
Sam looked over at Josh. He smiled at her.
“Well, let’s go,” Josh said.
They got out, Kai started bounding up the stairs, but Josh and Sam took their time.
“Hey Mr. Rushy rush,” Sam yelled out
Kai turned back to Sam.
“What?”
“Wanna hang back behind us maybe?”
“I don't see why,” Kai said as he held his arms out.
“Just do what Sam says Kai.”
Kai came back and fell behind them, he wasn't sure why, but he did it anyway. It probably had to do with Sam; he was wearing her down... in his mind anyway. Josh didn't turn his head, but spoke to Sam.
“Do you feel that?”
“Uh huh, sure do, a lot of funk coming off of this place,” Sam muttered as she looked around.
“By funk you mean what?” Kai said as he scratched his head.
Sam looked at Kai.
“Listen, just stay behind us. If you want, I'll have Josh give you the special touch again, but for now just stay quiet okay?”
Kai looked at Josh, who smiled at him wiggling his fingers.
“No man, I'm cool,” Kai said.
They continued upward, until they came to the doors.
“Looks like this place has a protection on it too, thought maybe Noble was just kidding about having this whole place on lock down, guess not,” Josh said.
They entered, it was empty, or so it seemed. The door creaked behind them and Kai looked back out the crack, right before it closed, wondering if he should have been so happy to come along.
“You go upstairs with Kai, Josh; I'll look around down here.”
They split up. Kai and Josh started climbing, either side of a double staircase that was in a bowl shape. Sam started for the room to the right.
Kai spotted food.
“Ahhh look! Free food, sweet!” He started shoving a blueberry muffin into his mouth. Josh just smiled at him, “Yeah dude, that's awesome, eat up.”
Then he stopped.
There before him was a huge painting on the wall, it was undeniably Caine.
“Son of a bitch,” Josh whispered.
He ran back over passing Kai at the trough and looked over the railing.
“Hey Sam! Found something up here.”
Sam came up the stairs and looked past him to the wall.
“Son of a bitch,” Sam muttered.
“That's exactly what I said.”
“Well, what the hell is a painting of Caine doing in this place?”
“Beats me,” Josh replied as he stared at it.
Both Josh and Sam turned to see Kai muffin in one hand, bottle of O.J. in the other.
Sam got irritated.
“Well, thank you Kai.”
He raised his eyebrows, “What?”
She turned away from him, to face the picture again.
“So do you think this is when the glamor started to change for Rue?”
“Don't know… could be, can't rule it out,” Josh said. He tilted his head and crinkled his eyebrows.
“Well I doubt very seriously that Noble is just hanging out here. He had to know Rue would tell us where he was.”
“Got that right. Well, at least we seem to be on the right trail now.” Sam looked at both of them...
“I think we should look through this place, as many books as possible, we can all take an aisle. I don't know, maybe we will get lucky and stumble onto something, anything.”
“K sis, let’s start downstairs just in case someone sneaks in, like Clark or worse yet Caine.”
“Caine cannot come here Josh it has a protection spell, we barely broke through ourselves and we are not seen as a threat by Noble. He knew we couldn't touch him.”
Josh looked back at the painting...
“I don't believe that Caine won't try. I've seen him do things no other protector could do, he's different Sam you know that.”
“I do Josh, but so is Rue and… ” She nodded Kai’s way, “You know who.”
Kai just looked at both of them, muffin crumbles falling out of his mouth.
“What?” Kai asked as he caught half his muffin falling to the floor. Josh laughed.
“Yea, he's different. You should have seen some of the crap rattling around in his head about you, Sam.”
Sam slapped him on the arm.
Josh started laughing. “Ow… and just for the record, gross, your boobs aren't that big.”
She hit him again. Sam looked back at Kai.
“Come on pig,” Sam yelled.
“What did I do?” Kai asked.
***
I had gotten dressed super quick, so fast my clothes still stuck to my body. I remembered how fast Johnathan had come the last time and I was going to be fully dressed when he got here (Since I couldn't seem to be in my dreams.) I was hoping he'd be less pretty. I had the worst urges with him, like I couldn't control myself. I saw his mouth move, but I only focused on his lips, how soft they were even when they were pressed hard against mine. T
here I go again… getting worked up before he even got here, what the hell? I undressed really fast and turned on the shower full blast... cold, very cold water. Figured it would help. I jumped in sucking in all my air and it was so cold that it burnt my skin. I jumped out and toweled off, slipping my clothes back on. I stopped and caught myself in the mirror. “Oh, I look just awesome!” No time, he would be here any minute, besides I told him I was in the bathtub… hence the wet hair, no biggie right?
I heard the knock on the door. My heart stopped. Okay Rue, just answer the door, let him in, offer him a drink… I don't know, watch a movie or something. I ran to the door, opened it. There he was, here again at an inappropriate moment, me being alone in the house. Sam couldn't get mad, I stayed here, right? I promised.
“Hey,” he said.
I stepped out of his way. He stood there for a moment, I looked at him.
“Come... come in Johnathan.”
“Yea Okay.”
He looked around
“So where's everybody?” he asked me.
“Ohh… umm, Kai took Josh and Sam on a mini tour of town. I didn't want to go, been everywhere here, ya know.”
He smiled his crooked smile.
“Okay...”
I fidgeted with my fingers.
“Want something to drink?” I asked.
“Yea, sure.”
I heard his question trailing off behind me; truth was I started walking towards the kitchen as soon as I asked him.
I opened the fridge and noticed his feet under the door. I stood up.
“Ummm, well, lots of choices here. Umm water, milk, mountain dew.”
“Water’s fine.”
“Mountain dew it is then,” I said.
“No, water’s cool,” he said grinning.
“Okay... doin the dew.”
Johnathan started to laugh.
“Ohhh, I get it. You’re trying to get me back for the wine, right?” he said.
I turned around smiling, dew in my hand.
“Okay, if you insist... then I'll do the dew, or whatever you called it.”
“You've never seen the commercial?”
“I'm not big on T.V.” he said.
“Ohh, well maybe we will get lucky and it'll come on.”
I grinned, truth was, I figured the more worthless chatter I threw his way, the better. Seemed like every time we were anywhere it ended up with some type of groping and I decided that maybe we could just talk this time, maybe, just maybe.