“This amulet feels good in the palm of my hand,” Rowdy’s dad said.
* * * *
“You are not going to believe this,” Jordyn said to him at the bus stop the next morning.
Rowdy ignored her, planting a long, messy kiss on her soft small lips. He felt around her body with his hands. Only a thin T-shirt separated them.
Jordyn pushed him away, giggling with surprise.
“What is wrong with you today?”
Rowdy grinned. He got down on one knee and stared up at her.
“Rowdy?” she exclaimed with amusement. He took her hands in his.
“I know it isn’t a real ring…” he began, pulling his granny’s simple yet elegant wedding band from his pocket. The little emeralds in it caught the sun.
“You’re a madman!” Jordyn gasped.
“I’m a man who is madly in love with you!” He grinned up at her and slipped the ring onto her finger.
“It’s a promise ring, Jordyn,” he said, waiting with swiftly growing anxiety for her reaction. She looked at the ring, turning it in the sun.
“Does Granny know?”
“Yes. She told me about my grandfather. They were in love until he died. She said I could give this to you, but we have to take care of it. It’s special, just like you.” He kissed her hand and stood. He waited on pins and needles while Jordyn opened and closed her mouth with surprise.
At last she smiled and threw her arms around him. They held each other until the bus approached.
The crusty old driver grimaced at them as they boarded. Jordyn ran shrieking down the aisle to show Jessica.
Rowdy realized he had missed the important news Jordyn was going to tell him. He wondered what it was.
He found out at lunchtime.
Sitting at their usual hangout, Rowdy caught Thomas up regarding the plants he’d found. He told him to come over to Granny’s after school. It would be a long bike ride for him. Thomas nodded his orange curls eagerly.
“But he’s so cute!” Jess was saying to Jordyn. Rowdy tuned into the girls’ conversation.
“He’s a teacher, idiot!” Jordyn retorted. She bit off a piece of granola bar with frustration.
Rowdy raised his eyebrows at his girlfriend.
“Jess is in love with Mr. DeCosta.” She stressed the word mister and glared at her friend.
“His accent is to die for!” Jess said, as though it were a decent argument.
“Not the point,” Jordyn said, chewing her bar angrily.
“Take a chill pill,” Jess said. She reached into her pack for some lip-gloss. Rowdy hated the whole “duck lip” thing girls did. He was bored of Jess’ antics.
“I need to talk to my girlfriend in private,” he said, staring at Jess. She responded with a look of dismay.
Rowdy took Jordyn’s hand and led her across the field, feeling the promise ring brush against his fingers.
“You need to meet me at Granny’s after school. Don’t ask why, because I don’t entirely know what is going on. Can you shake her off?” He glanced back at Jess, who was watching them.
“Already done,” Jordyn said, squeezing his hand. “Mr. DeCosta is the new student teacher for the band. Suddenly Jess is interested in practicing her flute after school.”
The bell rang. The couple nodded seriously at each other. They departed to their final classes. Jess chased after Jordyn, begging to know what the secret was.
Chapter 16
A Storm Rages
“So this is Thomas,” Granny said, beaming as the boys shuffled into the house.
Thomas looked around at the dried herbs, bones, stones, and spinning wheel. His expression remained neutral. He slipped his shoes off.
He hauled his backpack to the table beside the plants Rowdy had left on display. He pulled out a distiller and an expensive-looking microscope. Granny looked amused.
“I hear you are quite intelligent, Thomas.” Granny studied the serious young man with curiosity. Thomas nodded. The wild orange curls on top of his head bounced, accentuating the seriousness of his young face.
Granny couldn’t help but giggle out loud. She shuffled quickly to the kitchen with her hand over her mouth. Thomas looked at her and shrugged. He peered into his microscope, turning knobs.
Granny brought some snacks out. Her gaze never left Thomas.
“Do you believe in magic?” she asked him.
Thomas blinked up at her, confused. He shook his head and went back to his microscope.
Granny looked up. She paused. She went to the door and opened it just as Jordyn and Rose walked in. The ladies had met up with each other on the road. They stopped their chatting and looked at Thomas.
“Our chemist, Thomas,” Jordyn said to Rose, who moved elegantly across the floor to shake the hesitant, freckled hand.
Thomas put a piece of plant between two slides. Rowdy picked up a pen and his notebook. He scribbled furiously as Thomas talked of the microscopic pictures he was seeing in his scope.
“We need to distill this,” Thomas said matter-of-factly.
Granny interrupted. She brought a small cup of black slime to him.
“I need to know what this is made of.”
Thomas took the cup of black goo. He looked at it with a furrowed brow. He smelled it and winced. The group watched with interest.
“Don’t touch it,” Granny warned.
Thomas nodded and reached into his pack. He pulled out a pair of latex gloves and some safety goggles. Once he was equipped, he put a dab of black goo between two slides. He rotated the wheels on his scope. He was quiet for a time. No one moved.
“There is fungus and bacteria…” he began. “There are three different plants involved. That’s a guess.” He took his eye away and furrowed his brow at Granny.
“I don’t recognize this substance,” he stated, removing his gloves.
“I need an antidote,” Granny responded levelly, not missing a beat.
Thomas stared at her without blinking.
“Can you be here on Friday, Thomas? I need your help.”
Thomas nodded his agreement. He left his equipment and walked out the door with a bewildered look on his face. Rowdy ran after him. Thomas was mounting his bike.
“Thanks, man! Friday night, right?” Rowdy needed more confirmation. Again, Thomas nodded. He hopped onto his bike and whizzed down the street.
Rowdy burst back into the house. Jordyn and Rose were staring silently at Granny, whose eyes were glowing passionately.
“We are taking Thomas and Bill to Sionnin,” she commanded. “Cern’s evil is covering the land and seeping into this world.” She looked at the cup of black goop that was already growing in size. Rowdy gulped. Jordyn looked at him with alarm.
“Come prepared for battle.”
Granny picked up the cup of goo and disappeared down the hall, leaving the trio sitting in silent horror.
“Shoot. I have to get home,” Jordyn said at last.
Rowdy got up to walk her. They watched the sun slowly descend upon the mellow streets of Summerville. They were quiet. They were preparing for the final battle against the witch, not knowing what lay in wait for them.
“At least Thomas won’t say anything about Sionnin,” Jordyn said, attempting a light joke. But neither one of them could laugh. Rowdy caressed her face.
“I love you,” he said.
“Sweet dreams,” she said.
Rowdy went home to toss and turn, waiting for Friday evening. He thought Jordyn was probably doing the same.
* * * *
After school the next day, a Thursday that had dragged on seemingly forever, Rowdy, Jordyn, Rowdy’s dad, and Rose mustered in the field behind Granny’s house. They were wearing shorts and hiking boots. They carried water bottles. They meant business.
Thomas was in Chade playing baseball; Jess was at the school practicing her flute under Mr. DeCosta’s tutelage. Granny’s whereabouts were a m
ystery, as was usual.
“How was Thomas feeling today?” Rose asked, pulling her leg up for a stretch.
The air was warm and dead calm. Storm clouds could be seen gathering on the peripheries of a clear blue sky.
“Good, I think. He has agreed to have a sleepover at Granny’s tomorrow night,” Rowdy said, also stretching. It was very difficult to know how Thomas was feeling. Rose nodded. Jordyn finished stretching and tied her hair back in a ponytail.
“This should be embarrassing,” Rowdy’s dad said. His arms and legs were skinny and pale, clearly unaccustomed to exercise or the outdoors.
Rose led the way through the field that was now thick with grasses and weeds that pulled at their legs. Bees hovered above yellow-and-purple flowers. Rose tried to avoid them, starting into a slow jog with Rowdy behind her. Jordyn followed Rowdy, and his dad struggled along at the back, huffing and puffing.
They stopped at the road to do push-ups and jumping jacks. Sharp little stones dug into the palms of their hands, leaving deep imprints. But no one complained. Rose and Rowdy cheered the slower two along.
“This sucks!” his dad shouted. Jordyn giggled.
Rose stopped running. She reached above her head and put her hands around the branch of a tree. She winked at her winded brother and swung herself up like a gymnast. He grinned, trying to catch his breath. He watched his slender raven-haired sister climb swiftly up the branches with ease.
Rowdy followed her up, chasing her to the top. She squealed as he gained on her and shrieked when he finally slapped her boot.
They laughed. They turned around and gasped. From the top of the tree, they could see more of the far-away storm clouds gathering themselves together. They roiled and boiled, eerily silent.
“That doesn’t look good,” Rose whispered. “I wonder if it has some significance to Sionnin.”
Rowdy watched the distant clouds turning blacker. “It doesn’t look good,” he agreed, “but it’s probably a coincidence.”
“Hey up there,” Jordyn called. “Bill needs help!”
They heard Jordyn and his dad laughing and twigs snapping. Rowdy snickered and swung down the branches to Jordyn. He looked down to his dad on the ground, still trying to swing into the tree.
The group spent the remainder of the workout ensuring his dad could get into, up, down, and out of a tree.
“Good job,” Rowdy said, patting his dad on the back as the group walked home. His dad’s hands were scratched and sticky with pinesap.
“Are you all coming to Granny’s?” Rose asked, letting her hair out of its braid. She had sweat on her neck with bits of bark stuck to it.
“Dad should have a tub at Granny’s,” Rowdy suggested. “See what he sees.” He shook his braid out too. He shook bits of bark and needles out of it.
“I was sort of hoping,” Jordyn stammered to Rowdy shyly, “that you would come over for supper. You know, meet my parents?” She twisted her emerald ring around her finger. It matched her eyes.
Rowdy’s heart leaped. He gulped nervously and nodded. The young couple went to his house first so that he could wash and put clean clothes on. His dad followed Rose to Granny’s house to sink into deep soothing water.
* * * *
Jordyn’s mother had noticeably large, fake boobs. Rowdy wondered if it was something Jordyn could have mentioned to him before he was faced with them at the door. They protruded straight outward, which made them difficult to not look at.
Mrs. W. was wearing a small, form-fitting dress with a low-cut V-neck top, showing the rounded cleavage and dark, tanned skin between the aggressors.
Worried about making a first good impression while trying to avoid looking at the boobs was making Rowdy stutter stupidly, despite the rehearsing he had done in his mind during the walk over.
“H-h-hello,” he said, extending a hand. He was wearing a neat long-sleeved shirt. Jordyn had brushed his hair out and pulled it back into a tight, tidy braid.
“Rowdy,” Mrs. W. said. Her lips were plump and thick with dark red lipstick. She smiled, but he could tell she was skeptical. She moved aside, and Rowdy followed Jordyn into the house.
The house was big and old. The ceilings were high. The floor was all hardwood with beautiful decorative carpets on top. There was an old-style stone fireplace with a wide mantelpiece about it. The windows were tall and wide. Expensive art hung on the walls, and the furniture was all antique.
The largest room was the dining room. There was a long wooden table that shone with polish. Jordyn and Rowdy put a lacy white tablecloth on it while Mrs. W. asked him questions. She stood at the stove, stirring a boiling pot of ricotta-stuffed pasta shells with one hand and holding a glass of white wine with the other.
Rowdy could see the lipstick stain on the rim of her glass. He could also see where Jordyn got her great legs from.
“Do you do sports, Rowdy?” Mrs. W. asked. She looked over her shoulder at him with the same green eyes her daughter had.
“Um, no,” he replied, straightening the corner of the tablecloth. “I prefer hiking and biking.”
Rowdy looked at Jordyn, wondering if he’d given a suitable answer. But she didn’t seem concerned. She was organizing the silverware.
“Hmm. I rather prefer the solo sports as well.” Mrs. W. took a sip of her wine. Her bleached-blonde hair was up in a clip. Rowdy was surprised Jordyn was so different from her mother. He decided he preferred Jordyn’s natural style.
Mr. W. came into the room dressed in a dark suit with a briefcase in hand. He was a financial manager. Mrs. W. ran a local tanning and nail salon.
Mr. W. kissed his wife on the cheek. He put his briefcase down and reached his hand out to Rowdy with a wide white smile. They shook.
“Nice to meet you, young man.”
Rowdy watched as Jordyn and her parents chatted enthusiastically together, sharing the highlights of the day.
Mrs. W. told them a story of an obese lady who got stuck in one of her tanning beds that day.
Mr. W. told them about a senior employee he had to fire for stealing money.
Jordyn told them about Jessica’s crush on the student band teacher.
“What is wrong with her?” Mrs. W. said, turning off the stove. Jordyn got up and strained the pasta. Mrs. W. brought her husband a glass of wine.
Rowdy watched. He had forgotten what it was like to have a family.
“You guys better be lining up jobs for the summer,” Mr. W. said, cutting his steamed broccoli daintily. “Trevor will be doing his apprenticeship with my company.” He blew the steam off his pasta shells.
Trevor was Jordyn’s older brother, who was away at college studying finances.
“What does your dad do, Rowdy?”
Rowdy kept a casual front. “He’s in sales. He’s between jobs right now.” He ate some food, although he was too nervous to enjoy it.
“Ah, and what are your educational interests?” Mr. W. took a sip of wine and studied Rowdy.
“Chemistry,” he answered without thinking. He thought of Thomas with a smile.
Mr. W. lifted his eyebrows. He nodded in approval. The parents went out to the patio after supper, leaving the teenagers to clean up.
They stood side by side doing dishes. Both felt relieved the introductory supper was over. Jordyn jabbed him in the side with her elbow. He grinned. He focused on ensuring a crumb of food wasn’t left on any dish he cleaned, something that wasn’t an issue at his house.
They snuck a kiss at the front door and said good night. He went over to Granny’s house to see if his dad was still there. His dad and Rose stared at him gravely when he walked in.
“You saw a vision,” Rowdy said, observing his dad’s frightened expression. Rose nodded. Rowdy took off his shoes. He sat at the table.
“There was this…this…” his dad began, shaking his head in search of the right word, “stench…like rotting something. I can still taste it.” He looked at Rowdy wit
h a grimace.
Rowdy nodded. “That is Conan. But why is he still around?” He looked at Rose, puzzled.
“And this witch was wagging her finger at me. She kept cackling. It made my skin crawl.” He wrapped his hairy hands around his tea. It was in one of the lopsided homemade mugs of Granny’s.
Rowdy nodded, making stern eye contact with his aunt. They both knew this was information only Granny would know what to do with. It seemed quite clear that Cern and Conan were still in communication with each other somehow.
Rowdy shook his head and walked home with his dad for the night. He saw the stormy clouds approaching. The air was still eerily quiet and without movement. Even the mosquitoes were sluggish.
* * * *
The next morning, Rowdy and his dad got up early. Sleepily they put their shoes on and opened the front door to go for a jog; his dad was determined to get into shape.
The sunshine they had been enjoying all month had been replaced with a semi light. The sky was covered with thick clouds that boiled dark gray above them. They exchanged wary glances and ran into the streets, Rowdy’s dad following Rowdy’s new muscular body.
It was quiet. The traffic had yet to clog up the streets. The homes and businesses were not awake yet. The birds were unnaturally subdued. Rowdy didn’t know what it meant. He pushed his dad through a workout. They finished with sit-ups on the front lawn just as drops of rain began to fall.
By the time he met up with Jordyn at the bus stop, the rain was falling so violently it was difficult to see. An angry boom of thunder blasted the air as they boarded the bus, dripping wet. Hugo, Yan, and Jessica all snickered at them, having missed most of the downpour.
Rowdy and Jordyn played along, though both were nervous about the energy around them. They stared out of windows all day, monitoring the storm. By lunchtime, the sky was dark except for the brilliant forks of lightning that would electrify the clouds; the crashing thunder chased uncomfortably close behind them.
“Crazy,” Rowdy muttered, staring out the window of his homeroom class. Jordyn and Thomas stood close beside him. Jess was in the band room. The students behind them shouted every time the window lit up. Everyone was eating lunch inside.
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