Fae

by C. J. Abedi

  I knew she wasn’t being truthful, but thought it wise to give her some space. But not for long. When I returned, things would be different.

  I had actually planned on visiting her at the restaurant this evening but then realized that we had an away game, and I wouldn’t be home until very late. By then, the restaurant would be closed, and she would be home unable, and most probably unwilling, to talk to me. I knew that she was confused by me and the way I treated her. Probably confused by the way she felt.

  I couldn’t help her with any of that as I suffered through the same emotions. I stood up and stretched my legs, then zipped up my gym bag and headed out to the parking lot. As I walked the row of cars, I scanned it looking for some sign of her. Row after row, until I was finally in luck, her car was still there. I wondered what she was up to and how she would be spending her afternoon.

  Hoping and praying that she wouldn’t be naïve enough to walk home or work late at the restaurant. I just wanted her to be safe and secure until I returned.

  I glanced over at the trees and knew that if she decided to do anything out of ordinary or if anything happened at least the Tuatha DéDanann would be watching.

  Once I reached the bus, the driver motioned for me to drop my gear off at the other end in the trunk. I slowly walked towards the back of the bus and handed my stuff over to the assistant coach.

  “Let’s have a good game, Devilyn. Everyone is counting on you for this one,” he said cheerfully as I handed him my bag.

  “I’ll do my best, Coach,” I answered, knowing that the fate of the team rested solely on my shoulders. Brian Baker had been a phenomenal player, and definitely the star of the school, but his skills paled in comparison to mine. And it wasn’t his fault at all.

  “I know you will,” he said smiling widely as he patted me on the back. “This is going to be a great night. They’re not going to know what hit them.”

  I made my way to the front of the bus. The other players were slowly gathering around, and all seemed very pumped up about the night that lay ahead. I tried to get myself to feel some of their excitement, but it was a hard task to achieve. I walked by each of them, and I noticed how they made a wide path for me, avoiding any contact off the field at all costs. The bus door was already open, so I grabbed a hold of the railing and made my way up the stairs. The second I reached the top I looked at the rows of empty seats. At least I had my pick, I thought.

  And then I saw her.

  Sitting toward the back with her head turned staring out of the small window. I was instantly elated and curious. What was she doing here?

  “Caroline?” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice.

  She looked up startled. I could see the emotions play across her expressive face, both annoyed and pleased at the same time.

  “Oh, hi.”

  I quickly moved down the aisle and took the seat right next to her. I knew I was invading her personal space as the seat was too small for the both of us to sit without touching one another, but I didn’t care. My leg was plastered up against hers. She tried to wiggle away but couldn’t.

  I looked down at her exquisite face. She was wearing a thick jacket and jeans. Her hair was once again pulled tightly away from her face in a high ponytail. She looked fresh and innocent.

  “Are you joining us?” I asked with a warm smile.

  “Unfortunately,” she replied as she lifted up her tiny notebook of paper and pencil. “Story for the school paper, and I know how much you love those.”

  I laughed and was suddenly so happy about the long ride ahead.

  “I’ll try to be more welcoming this time around,” I told her apologetically with a wink.

  She quickly looked away from me.

  “If you haven’t noticed almost every seat in the bus is empty,” she said pointing out the obvious.

  I shrugged as I leaned back in the seat and if possible, closer against her side.

  “But I want to sit with you.”

  Silence.

  I looked over at her, and she quickly averted my gaze.

  “What about Jordana?” she asked quietly. “Don’t you want to sit with her?”

  She hadn’t heard. I was surprised; this was high school after all. The epicenter of where gossip began.

  “You haven’t heard the news?”

  “What news?”

  “We’re no longer together.”

  C

  I’m pretty sure my mouth dropped to the floor.

  Had I heard him correctly? Did he just say that he was broken up with the captain of the cheerleading squad? I couldn’t believe my ears. What’s more is that I couldn’t believe that it was Tuesday afternoon, and nobody at school was talking about the fact that the star quarterback and the head cheerleader had broken up. What was the matter with our high school? These were the kind of rumors that the entire student body lived for.

  I couldn’t resist the temptation of asking. “When did this happen?”

  He looked over at me and gave me that sexy smile that made my heart race.

  “Late Saturday night.”

  “It must have been very late.”

  “Trust me when I say that it was,” he continued as he stretched out his body, leaving little room for mine in the crammed space. “We weren’t a right fit.”

  “That’s strange. You seemed to be perfect for each other.” Physically perfect, I thought. Both were beautiful. I wanted to kick myself when I said the words out loud.

  “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

  My heart slammed in my chest. I had to look away from him. I didn’t know what to say. All the feelings from the night before rushed over me, and I dared to hope again.

  “I’m sorry.” I tried to sound sincere. “It must be hard to break up with someone.”

  “It was a very adult and amicable break up. We’re actually still friends.”

  “Well in that case, maybe there’s room for a reconciliation,” I replied with a forced smile.

  “No room for that,” he said as he shook his head. “Definitely over.”

  He sounded so cheerful that I had to force myself not to smile. I didn’t know what else to say to him.

  “So what’s your story about?”

  I was happy he changed the subject.

  “Oh, just a behind-the-scenes look at the sport, players, the way you guys prepare for the game,” I explained, trying very hard to sound remotely interested in the subject.

  “You seem thrilled to be here.” His smile was proving to be contagious.

  I guess I didn’t sound too convincing.

  “Football isn’t really my thing.”

  “What exactly is your thing?” he asked.

  You. Well, thinking about you, to be exact, I thought. That occupies most of my time and during the other moments I’m trying my hardest not to think about you. But no matter what I do, there you are invading my space and taking over my mind. Obviously I couldn’t tell him that so I mumbled out a response instead.

  “I haven’t really figured that out yet.”

  “Really?” He didn’t sound like he believed me.

  “I’m going to leave that for college,” I covered lamely.

  He nodded his head in sympathy.

  “I completely understand.”

  The bus was quickly filling up as the players filed in. The more popular players moved to the back of the bus while the others stayed in the front. I made eye contact with Brian Baker as he moved toward the back. He smiled at me.

  “Hey Caroline.”

  “Hi,” I waved at him.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He looked over and barely acknowledged Devilyn. I wanted to make sure he didn’t think we were together so I responded quickly, trying to put out any flames as quickly as possible, especially since I had just learned that Devilyn had broken up with Jordana. The last thing I needed was drama. Or anyone thinking I was the reason
why they hadn’t worked out.

  “I’m writing a piece on you guys for the school paper.”

  “Oh cool,” he replied as he sat down a few rows ahead of us.

  “Are you planning on interviewing all the players?” Brian continued, as he turned to face us.

  I knew he asked because I was sitting next to Devilyn and probably assumed that the focus of my article would be on the star quarterback.

  “Yeah, I need a bunch of interviews,” I told him trying to placate him as much as possible. “I’d love to get a quote from you.”

  “Of course,” Brian beamed as his chest seemed to swell with pride.

  “So who ended up driving you home on Saturday night?” he asked curiously.

  “Oh, um, actually, Teddy drove me home.”

  “That’s cool.” One of the players nudged his shoulder and his attention focused on him.

  As soon as Brian began talking to the other player, I could feel the tension in Devilyn’s body subside. From the moment he began talking to me, Devilyn had suddenly shown an intense reaction to Brian. The more relaxed he became, the more I began to be acutely aware of the man sitting next to me and how my personal space was merged with his.

  I continued staring at the front of the bus as the remaining players entered, and then the cheerleaders started to file in. One by one, with their perfect hair and make-up, combined with the short skirt and tight sweaters, they were every high school guy’s dream. I pulled my jacket around my body as I watched how they smiled flirtatiously.

  When the captain of the squad finally made her way up the steps, I couldn’t help but sneak a quick glance in Devilyn’s direction to see if he would show any reaction, and sure enough he didn’t. Solidifying the fact that he was clearly a proponent of the motto ‘love them and leave them.’

  I looked back up in her direction and noticed that she was seemingly unaffected as well. Maybe they did end their relationship amicably. I guess I had to give them credit for their maturity.

  “So your friend Teddy seemed to really hit it off with my sister,” Devilyn said breaking the silence.

  Hitting it off seemed to be the understatement of the year. Tatiana was all Teddy could speak of morning, noon, and night. Of course I wasn’t about to reveal that to Devilyn.

  “It seems like it.”

  “Does that bother you?” he asked hesitantly.

  “Why would it bother me?” I replied looking up at him in curiosity.

  “You two seem pretty close.” The look on his face was impassive so I didn’t understand where he was going with the conversation.

  “We are.”

  “He might not spend as much time now with you as he did before.”

  I actually smiled.

  “Teddy’s my best friend, and I want him to be happy.” I looked over at him. “Just like he wants me to be happy.”

  He stared at me for a long while and my heart fluttered, while the intensity of his gaze changed my breathing pattern.

  “You have a pure heart.”

  I had a feeling that he meant it. I was suddenly embarrassed.

  “Thanks. But I don’t really think how I feel is unusual. That’s what friends do for one another. Teddy is very important to me, and I know that I am very important to him. We would never let anyone come in the way of a life-long friendship. We’ll be there for each other forever.”

  “I’m sure you will,” he said. “Teddy is lucky to have a friend like you.”

  “I’m lucky to have him.” I looked over at him again, and then continued, “Your sister couldn’t be in better hands. She really couldn’t be with a better guy. He’s loyal, trustworthy, and so smart.”

  Devilyn gave me a mischievous grin.

  “Then I really don’t know what he sees in my sister.”

  I laughed knowing full well that he was joking around, and suddenly I was so happy to see a playful side of him.

  “That’s not very loyal,” I tried to scold him, but I couldn’t keep the laughter out of my voice.

  “I’ve lived with her forever. Trust me.” Devilyn all but rolled his eyes.

  “I hardly call seventeen years forever.”

  He shrugged his broad shoulders.

  “Feels like it.”

  “You’re lucky to have a sister,” I told him. “You’re lucky to have a sibling.”

  I knew my voice sounded wistful, but I couldn’t help myself. Sometimes it was hard being an only child. Not having anyone to confide in or lean on. Someone that was your own blood.

  Devilyn’s gaze met mine; he held it for a long moment before he answered.

  “I guess you’re right, but living with someone who’s as unpredictable as Tatiana can be exhausting. Her mood changes by the hour.”

  “I can see some similarities,” I tried to joke with him.

  The bus driver started the engine, and we began moving out of the school parking lot. I looked out the window and down at my watch and knew that it was going to be a long night. I silently wished the bus could go faster so that we could get home sooner, especially since Devilyn was increasingly taking up more and more space on the small leather seat.

  As we turned down the road the bus suddenly went over a large bump, which at that moment, and if possible, forced us even closer together. Devilyn leaned in real close to me, and I stopped breathing.

  His face was inches from mine.

  “Would you like me to scoot over?” He was teasing me, flirting shamelessly, and I was incapable of responding. I couldn’t help it when my gaze moved to his lips and then back to his eyes. He met my look dead on.

  We were on a bus. Surrounded by football players and cheerleaders, and the last thing I wanted him to do was scoot over. All I wanted was for him to kiss me. Shy Caroline was gone. Who had I become?

  I took in a deep breath, incapable of responding, and looked out the window again, inching my way closer and closer to the panel. I stole a quick glance at him and noticed that he had a wide grin on his face. He knew that he was goading me on, and he knew the effect he had on me. As I looked at his profile, I wondered why he was so interested in sitting next to me in the first place.

  “We still have a lot of work to do on our history project,” he said, breaking the lingering silence.

  I couldn’t bring myself to look over at him.

  “I know.” I took a deep breath before I glanced at him quickly. “I’m actually behind on all my class projects,” I confessed.

  “This away game must not be helping,” he guessed.

  “You’re right. I’m probably going to be up late every night this week, trying to get everything done.”

  “You’ll manage.” He was confident that I would.

  The coach took that moment to stand up in his seat and look back at his team. He eyed the players, smiling.

  “We’re going to celebrate our big win on the ride home. I want everyone focused. I want you all going through the plays in your minds. I want you to visualize victory and you will achieve it,” he yelled out to all the players. They cheered as the coach clapped loudly, trying to pump them up as much as possible. After a moment everyone quieted down.

  I couldn’t stop myself from looking over at Devilyn. I had absolutely no willpower, but at that moment I didn’t care. It seemed that he knew the moment I did because his eyes met mine. We stared at each other for a long moment, and then I broke the gaze. As soon as I did, I regretted it.

  I decided to sit back in my seat and try and enjoy the ride. As I wiggled a bit, trying so very hard to get comfortable, my leg casually brushed up against his. The feeling was so intense that it sent an electric shock through my body once again. I couldn’t understand why or how one simple touch could result in overwhelming heat and somersaults in my stomach.

  Our eyes locked again, and before I knew it he placed his large hand gently over mine.

  I tried to catch my breath, to temper the feelings that were running t
hrough my body.

  But it was hard enough to breathe.

  D

  I felt it, and I knew she felt it too.

  This force that existed between us.

  Every time we were together, every time we touched, something happened.

  Whatever it was, it was powerful, and it was strong.

  And it could not be ignored.

  I would not let it go unnoticed anymore. It was time for both of us to face the music, I thought as I walked through the long tunnel and made my way out onto the field.

  Game on.

  The crowd was cheering in full force, and the sound was thunderous. I carried my helmet in my hand and scanned the bleachers to see where she was sitting and smiled when I noticed that she was sitting down with us on one of the benches on the field. She was looking through her notes and writing something down quite frantically.

  I put my helmet down next to her and began fixing the laces on my shoes when she looked up.

  “So you’re joining us out on the field?” I asked.

  “The views from here appear to be better,” she replied with a grin. “Definitely up close and personal.”

  “I was thinking that maybe we should get together at my house next time, for the history project,” I said casually as I leaned in toward her. “I’d love for you to meet my grandfather. I think you would really like him.”

  “Um, sure.” She looked completely startled. “That sounds great.”

  “Great.” I pushed for a firm date, “How about tomorrow night?” If she was in Odin’s home, we could definitely protect her until we found the Kelpie and trapped it.

  “Yeah, I think that should work,” she said softly.

  “Perfect,” I replied with a smile. “Stay safe out here.”

  “I will. Have a good game,” she said as she turned her head down and began writing something in her notebook.