Touch of Mischief

by C. L. Stone

  The Academy

  The Ghost Bird Series

  Touch

  of Mischief

  ♥

  A Halloween Short Story

  ♥

  Written by C. L. Stone

  Published by

  Arcato Publishing

  .

  Copyright © 2014 C. L. Stone

  http://aclstone.tumblr.com/

  Published by Arcato Publishing

  http://www.arcatopublishing.com

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Touch of Mischief (The Ghost Bird Series)

  Nightmares and Horror Movies

  Tricks and Pumpkins

  Gabriel’s Scare

  Tombstones

  Preparation

  Dressed to Perfection

  Wondering what to read next?

  From The Academy

  The Ghost Bird Series

  Introductions

  First Days

  Friends vs. Family

  Forgiveness and Permission

  A Drop of Doubt

  Push and Shove

  House of Korba

  The Other Side of Envy (April 2015)

  The Scarab Beetle Series

  Thief

  Liar

  Fake (December 2014)

  ***

  Other Books by C. L. Stone

  Smoking Gun

  Spice God

  Nightmares and Horror Movies

  I stood on the edge of a dark road, my toes pointed out toward a ravine.

  Silas stood on the other side, motioning for me to come to him.

  I wanted to so much, but he was so far away. Dark clouds swarmed around us, with occasional flashes of lightning. Lightning that was orange like flames.

  A hulking figure rose up behind me. I didn’t have to turn to know it was dangerous and was after us. Its breath was hot and moist at the back of my neck, threatening me with a push if I didn’t jump on my own.

  Silas called to me. I couldn’t understand what he said. I thought he was calling my name. His voice was deep. The rumble shook through my bones.

  Panicked, I jumped, and for a moment, I flew. Silas was reaching for me.

  It wasn’t enough.

  I sank into the black of the ravine.

  My eyes opened, and the darkness was still around me. I sat up sharply in my panic. I breathed in deeply, my throat scratchy with a smoky aftertaste. I inhaled the cypress and leather and a mix of other scents around me. I clasped the cotton of the maroon blanket, and rubbed the familiar material between my fingers, seeking comfort in being brought out of fantasy and back into reality. Neither the cypress nor the familiar touch of the bed eased the rapid beating of my heart upon waking up after such a frightful dream.

  “Sang,” a voice called to me.

  I reacted quickly, turning toward the voice. At first, in the dark, after my dream, I had a moment where I thought it was Silas. I even saw his face hovering, his dark eyes, his dark hair, his figure, his Greek features. It was flash, maybe just a strong desire to see it. I wanted to make sure he was safe.

  Instead, as I focused and my eyes adjusted, I found Nathan sitting up, turned toward me and rubbing a palm across his eye. “You okay?” he asked. His voice was deep, and with an extra grumble. “What happened?”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to lie and say I was fine. I knew better, though, and I swallowed the urge. I pressed my fingers across my mouth, as if that could somehow soften the truth and encourage him to go back to sleep. “Sorry,” I whispered. “It was a dream.”

  “Another nightmare?” Nathan asked. His head tilted, and a bit of light from the window crossed over his face, revealing a glimpse of his serious expression. I pictured the vivid deep blue of his eyes and how they drew out my desire to make everything better when he seemed so concerned and worried.

  “It doesn’t mean anything,” I said. I checked the clock on his bedside table, which glared red digits: five-thirty. The sun was rising later now that it was fall. It was Halloween. Flashes of what we were meant to do today came back to me. Homecoming. Costumes. Discovering what the other Academy members would really be like.

  Silas.

  “The dreams must mean something,” Nathan said. He moved to the edge of the bed, putting his feet on the floor and raking his hand through his short hair. “You keep having them. At least when you’re not so deeply asleep that you just pass out completely and wake up still tired.”

  “Is Silas okay?” I asked, both out of concern for him and to avoid talking about the dream. “I fell asleep before anyone said...”

  “He’s fine,” Nathan said. He lifted himself slowly off the bed to a stand and then did a flexing stretch. In the low light, I could tell he was only in boxer shorts. He wore just those often enough to bed, that on most nights, I never thought twice about it. Right now, though, I stared at him. His shoulders were wide. His build wasn’t as tall or big as some of the other boys, but every inch of him was shaped like a majestic statue. His shoulders and arms curved to show his muscle without much flexing needed on his part. His stomach revealed his defined abdomen in even the dimmest light. Nathan Griffin was every bit male muscled perfection. He reached a hand out, palm up and gestured to me in a ‘come hither’ way.

  I knee-walked across the bed, crawling over the messed-up blankets. Before I got to the edge, he reached out for my arms. I had no time to react before he scooped me up draped me over his shoulder. “Oof,” I breathed out.

  “No more nightmares, Sang Sorenson,” he said. “And no more worrying about Silas. He’s at home sleeping. He’ll be here later today, anyway. Right now, we’re not going to ruin today for you by worrying about what happened yesterday.”

  “Nathan,” I said, squirming on my stomach as I hung over him. I reached down to pat his butt and back. The boys often did things like this, and yet I wasn’t awake enough yet to really wriggle my way out of his grip.

  “Nope, Peanut,” he said. “It’s Halloween. It’s a fucking Saturday, too. Sure, we’ve got the homecoming thing tonight, which is bad timing, yeah. We’ve got sixteen years to catch you up on pumpkins and candy and costumes.”

  I huffed, but relented, letting him carry me where he wanted. I got a little dizzy as he made his way through his house in the dark. He turned me over in the kitchen put me down on the cold marble counter. “Can I use your phone to text North? Mine’s still gone.”

  “We should get you a new one,” he said. He flicked on a light. I covered my eyes to keep out the brightness until my eyes adjusted. I caught his broad back as he slipped back down the hallway. He came back with a pair of sweatpants and his cell phone. He passed the phone to me, and then started to put on the pants.

  As he dressed, I smoothed out my own pink T-shirt and a pair of gray pajama pants. I wasn’t sure if the pajama pants were mine or maybe Kota’s old ones or someone else’s, as I’d grabbed them last night in the dark and put them on. I turned on his red iPhone and sent a quick text to North. I wasn’t sure where he was, either, and hoped he wasn’t actually asleep for once. It took several texts to describe the dream.

  Nathan ducked his head into the fridge. He pulled out two Mocha Frappuccinos and then checked the freezer. He dug out two egg and sausage biscuits, which he put the biscuits in the microwave to heat. “Okay,” he said over the whirring of the microwave. He clapped his hands together like he was brushing off crumbs and then looked at me. “Coffee, breakfast first, then we’ve got a few hours to kill before anyon
e else is going to show up.” His eyes lit up and he started a side smirk. “Do you know what time it is?”

  “Super early?” I asked. I finished the last text to North and sent it.

  “It’s time for Halloween. And by that I mean the movie.”

  “Oh.” I dropped down to the kitchen floor, landing on my bare feet a little hard, wobbling since I wasn’t really that awake yet. I wasn’t really sure I’d like a scary movie after the dream I had, but if I was with Nathan, I didn’t think it would bug me so much. “But Silas is fine?” I asked. “I mean he was with his dad and...”

  Nathan smirked. He put the coffee down and came to me. I held his phone between my palms and against my chest as he came close. He cupped my face in his hands, and then slowly leaned in for a kiss.

  At first it was the lightest of brushes of his lips against mine. Soft, slow, a whisper of a touch. My heart began pumping furiously at this, waking me up. I wanted to be aware of every touch from him, even the small ones.

  He tilted his head back a little, and the roughness of his fingers and palms lightly scratched against my skin as he rubbed soothingly. “Silas,” he said in a quiet, but deep voice that still carried, “is at home with his dad. Theo even got released, but he’s with some Academy doctors at the hospital. And before you ask, North’s fine, too. He just had a small concussion and...”

  Bzzt.

  The phone buzzed to life in my hands, scaring me a bit because I now knew the boys’ phones could deliver shocks if they pushed the right button. When it didn’t, I turned the front to look at it. Nathan leaned over to read it upside down.

  North: I want to call it karma for not listening to me earlier when I said don’t go running after Silas. But after the night you’ve had, nightmares aren’t surprising.

  “Sounds like he’s fine,” Nathan said. He took the phone from my hands and typed in something quickly. After he sent the message, he slid the phone into the pocket of his pants.

  “What did you say?” I asked.

  “I told him I’ve got you watching a movie.” He smirked. “Didn’t tell him which one.” He paused, his blue eyes glinting with curiosity. “Unless you want something less scary than Halloween. Maybe Scream?”

  I tried to smother my smile. Nathan loved scary films and I didn’t have the heart to deny him being able to watch at least one on a day like today. He was right; a couple of hours before the others got here would finally give us enough time to finish it.

  Homecoming was going to happen tonight, too. I couldn’t shake off that thought in the back of my mind. It was creeping around, just out of sight, looming and promising that something horrible could happen, even with the extra precautions the boys had taken. Like spider webs whispering across my skin, my attention was gently drawn toward clocks, thinking of the time, and wondering how I could possibly wait for tonight. Maybe a movie would help to pass the time.

  I joined him in the living room, and we ate our breakfast sandwiches and drank coffee while sitting close together on the leather sofa. After I ate, he sat back and slipped an arm around my shoulders. He pulled me close enough that I could cushion my head with his shoulder. With the broadness of his arm wrapped around me, he warmed me through.

  While I watched the movie, I kept thinking of Silas and North. I trusted Nathan, but not seeing them for myself in person made it hard to imagine they were fine. Silas, especially, had been at risk of getting arrested or worse. All I had was to believe Nathan was right, that Silas was probably sleeping right now and I’d see him later.

  And then there was the way Nathan sat so close. It might have been really early, and it might have been a scary movie, but I was still fully aware of every movement he made. Part of it was wondering what Silas would think. Maybe I should talk to Mr. Blackbourne.

  Halfway through the movie, Nathan reached over, hooking his arm under my knees and pulling my legs over his.

  Just before the final credits, right when the heroine had finally thought she’d gotten away and the killer seemed to be finished, Nathan turned his head, and pressed his lips to my temple. I’d sensed when scary parts of the movie were going to happen, and often gazed down at the coffee table, at his sweat pants, or glanced around the living room to avoid watching them. Now that it was over, it hadn’t been so bad and he hadn’t seemed to notice when I looked away. I was happy for the different sort of distraction as he kissed my head.

  I turned, meaning to smile and make a comment, but he leaned in and before I could say anything, his lips closed in on mine. He did it quickly, as most of his kisses usually started. They always left me breathless.

  I was ready for him this time.

  For the first kiss, I barely moved, waiting for him to show me. After that, as he swooped in to kiss again, I parted my lips, making ouch movements with my mouth.

  The first time I did it, Nathan slowed down. It was enough of a pause that I started to slow, too. Was I doing it wrong? I was doing what Silas told me...

  Then he moved quickly, and his hands cupped my head in his palms. His lips parted and he kissed deeper, opening his mouth.

  His lips massaged mine as he kissed harder. I was breathless again, but after the initial movement, I kept going.

  In an instant, the movie, the house, all of it was gone. It was simply Nathan and I on the couch, our lips, his scent, the touch of his palms on my face, holding me to him as if afraid that if he didn’t, I’d stop.

  My heart raced. My mouth moved with his. My stomach twirled lightly. I felt this way often when the boys touched me, but the feelings intensified when they kissed or got so close like this.

  His tongue touched lightly at my lower lip. I almost stopped, about to pull back in surprise. His tongue retreated and he kissed me deeper again, sucking at my lower lip.

  I knew tongue was involved somehow, but Silas didn’t mention that part. Was I supposed to do kiss it or make ouch movements around it or...

  Thromp.

  A bang and footsteps followed.

  I jumped, as did Nathan, pulling away. His hands moved to my shoulders and he pulled me into him, facing off whatever was making the noise. It was clearly human, and heading this way. I twisted to see, not wanting to get stabbed in the back by monsters, my mind filled with Nathan’s zombies and other horrors.

  Kota emerged from around the corner. At first he was strolling and then spotted us, stopping short so his shoes skidded with a squeak on the hardwood floor. His eyes were wide. His black rimmed glasses dropped a little on his nose. He reached up to adjust them. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Shit,” Nathan said, releasing his tight hold on me, allowing me to sit back. “Bad timing,” he said. “We just finished watching a movie.”

  “Maybe you should take it easy on the horror films,” Kota said. He scooted around the side table and plopped down next to me on the couch. He wore jeans, a green T-shirt with a gray zip up hoodie. He had his hands in his pockets and his cheeks were flushed red. “Getting chilly out there.”

  “Halloween is always pretty cold around here,” Nathan said, moving to cross an ankle over his knee.

  I had to smile a little at the thought of it being cold. Did it even get to freezing here in South Carolina? Being from Illinois, it seemed to me that summer lasted an eon in the south, and I was still waiting for an actual fall day this far into October.

  Kota nodded and then rolled his head back to rest on the couch and closed his eyes. “I’ve had three hours of sleep,” he said. “I may need a nap later.”

  “You should do it now,” Nathan said. He pulled out his phone and checked the screen. “We’ve still got a few hours, don’t we?”

  “Gabriel’s on his way with Victor,” Kota said. “And we should grab the pumpkins and start on those.”

  “The pumpkins?” I asked.

  Kota’s eyes opened and he smiled. He sucked in a breath and then stood. He pulled a hand out of his pocket and held it toward me to help me up. “We’ve got two homes to deck out. Well, mi
ne’s already partially done. We still need to decorate Nathan’s. Hopefully we get it done in time.”

  I took his hand, and stood. I turned toward them. “In time for what?” I asked.

  Nathan laughed, a deep, “Ha!” and then shook his head, grinning. “Like Gabriel would ever let a holiday pass without being able to decorate. I’m surprised he waited so long.” He jumped up, and then pushed at my back to nudge me around the couch and toward the kitchen. “Let’s set up.”

  At that, Kota seemed to find a bit of extra energy, and started toward the front door. “I’ll grab the pumpkins. In the garage, right?” He asked as he was still walking, his voice raising the further away he got.

  “Right-o,” Nathan called back to him.

  A smile lit up inside me. All I could think was: Academy boys.

  It made me wonder what Christmas might be like.

  Soon, Nathan’s table was covered in old newspapers, and I wondered where he’d gotten them because I’d never seen the newspaper delivered to his house.

  Kota brought out ten pumpkins. He placed most of them on the kitchen counter, but put three on the table.

  “Ten?” I asked. I counted in my head. “Are Dr. Green and Mr. Blackbourne going to carve?”

  “Everyone has to do their own,” Nathan said. “Part of the rules.”

  “There’s rules?” I asked, still trying to picture an image of Mr. Blackbourne and Dr. Green actually carving. Dr. Green maybe, but Mr. Blackbourne?

  “We’re a family, aren’t we?” Kota asked. He passed off a package to me, a template book with designs for carving pumpkins. “When we do holidays, we do them together. Let’s get started.”

  Tricks and Pumpkins

  I stared at the boys, watching as they found knives and started cutting the tops out of the pumpkins. The room was suddenly overwhelmed with the smell of fresh pumpkin. Kota found gloves and a spoon to start scooping out seeds; Nathan used his bare hands.

  I was caught up in how last night, we were chasing Theo and helping Silas and then there was the football game disaster, and they were here now, carving pumpkins. It was almost absurd. My nerves were alive, fully aware that in a few hours, we’d be at homecoming in full costume and on the hunt. How could they so easily forget about that and simply dive into making Jack-o-lanterns?