3

by Shera Eitel-Casey

  Coach came over “Declan get to work.”

  Declan whispered “We have more issues over here other than her just having her period.” Coach “ugh-ed” turned on his heal, blew the whistle, and walked away to start practice with everyone else. Jett came in right when he was blowing the whistle, just what I needed.

  “Well, I guess it was good that I was on the mat when I passed out. The floor would have hurt more.”

  “Addie, can you take anything seriously? I mean really, if you could see your face right now, you are whiter than a ghost.” Nic had real concern in her voice. Jett was just looking at the three of us, I gave him a little wave. I'm sure the other wrestlers would fill him in any minute. Just what I need, him thinking I am a weenie who passes out when she gets cramps.

  “Declan can you tell me everything again? I have a feeling I may have missed some of it.”

  Nic gritted between her teeth and said “Yeah, what did you tell her to make her pass out?” She hushed her voice at the end. If she thought we were going to talk about my period (that I didn't even have) I'm sure she'd want to keep it quiet. Not much embarrassed her, but that would.

  Declan started off “This is bad, really bad. We need to tell your parents Addie and probably report it to the police.” I put my hand over my face and rubbed it, then pinched my cheeks tryin’ to get some color into them.

  “Please just start again. The only reason I fell down was because I forgot to breath, you know such a silly thing. I am breathing now and sitting down so let's hear it all and then we'll figure out what to do next.”

  “Yes! Let's hear it!” Nic agreed.

  “Cale never wanted to be your boyfriend, he's been setting you up since this summer!” Nic and I were silent so he repeated himself, explaining it in a different way like we didn’t understand. “He's been following you around and stalking you since this summer!” Declan exclaimed.

  Nic had doubts “Come on! Why would he do that? That guy could have anyone, he doesn't need to be a stalker.” Declan looked across me and over to Nic in disgust for her interruption.

  I replied “It's kinda startin' to make a lot of sense to me, the truck, the baseball cap, the dreams...” I tapered off.

  “I tell you what, Topher was shaking in his boots and I believe everything he told me.... Plus, after he told me what he did, I know he regretted it but I told him I wouldn’t tell anyone but this secret can’t be kept. Topher said he was at Cale's house one night testing new sound equipment. They had a few drinks and Topher passed out. But when he woke up, Cale and his girlfriend were fighting, and that he knew it was his girlfriend because of what they did after the fight....” He stopped because he was waiting for me to verify that I was with him or that I knew what he was talking about. I think he was being cautious with me. So I let my eyes go wide and said “Yeah. Like I said, I only passed out because I forgot to breathe... nothing Cale does scares me that bad he’s just a high school boy, please go on.”

  “It all makes sense Addie!” Declan continued. “You told me he only kissed you on the forehead and weird stuff like that and that you thought he acted more a like a dad. It's because everything he did with you was planned and set up! The only thing Topher didn't know is why, except for that he's a sick bastard.”

  “So maybe I was a stupid bet or something” I replied and Nic agreed.

  “Unfortunately, I don't think so not by the other details Topher mentioned.”

  Nic jumped in while I was rubbing my face “There's more?”

  “Oh a lot more and I still don't even think he gave me all the details or that he remembers them himself. He started getting sketchy in some parts and it gets really weird.”

  “Just what I need, to be involved in someone's sick and twisted stalking routine. I guess this is my year for atrocious and weird incidents.”

  “No kidding” Nic agreed. “Like you need anyone else attacking or stalking you for that matter.”

  “Someone else attacked you?” Declan said “Did Jett do something to you? You never did fill me in on your date.” I gave Nic a dirty look, she slapped her hand over her mouth, I know she didn't mean it.

  “No, my date with Jett was fine, kind of, someone tried grabbing me before the movie and then after someone tossed a rock on Jett's car when we park.... ah... later that night.”

  “I've been thinking, I have noticed that I have been getting that 'eerie feeling' a lot since this summer and I thought it was because I was attacked but maybe it's because someone really has been stalking me. But stalking me just doesn't make sense, why would anybody be interested in me?”

  “True.” Nic said. Everyone was amused but not enough to laugh. She went on “Maybe when you started winning all your swim races was when Cale noticed you, and then started watching and got obsessed with you. I mean who quits after you get really good anyways.” I just gave her a ferocious look, not sure about which part, maybe all of it.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Declan said really loud, loud enough to get half the wrestling team to look over at us. I started to say “Oh, I have such bad cramps” but before I could finish Nic covered my mouth. “Addie you got attacked and by whom? Was it this summer? Because Topher's ramblings might make sense then.” I was in deep thought gazing at the ground in front of me when someone's shadow came over me.

  I looked up and it was Jett. He squatted in front of me and asked “You okay?” He had his wrestling uniform on and I could see all his muscles. It was the best part of my day watching him, looking at him, in his tight little uniform.

  “Ohhh, yeah.” I said “I'm fine, we're just trying to figure some stuff out. How are you doing?”

  “Fine” he said with his double creased sexy smile. I took a deep breath. He put his hand on my knee, I just looked at it and he asked “Do you need a ride home?”

  “Thanks, but Declan's driving me home today.” Declan cleared his throat and said “Well I do have to go to run an errand, so it would be better if you could get a ride home.” I gave him a surprised look. Jett used my knee to stand up and said, “I'll see you after practice.”

  “Now what? I have to explain to him I don't have my period.... yeah, that should be fun.” I said sarcastically.

  “Would you please stop saying that word?” Nic said, annoyed, and went on with “You should explain to him why you think you got attacked on your date.” Nic replied and Declan agreed.

  “And we need to tell someone of authority, possibly Detective Grey.” Nic replied.

  Declan started his story about Cale again as if there had been no disruption in our conversation. “So Topher was getting more nervous as he told me details, but he said he definitely overheard him say 'When he first found you this summer, you were his missing link and he thought you would have been an easy mark, but he has no 'mind control' over you at all, so he has to come up with a new plan. Plus, he thinks you know too much.' Or something to that affect. He was complaining that they couldn’t find his father’s journal that made up the serum and that he has no idea where it was lost since it’s been 85 years since his passing. And something about your blood being the key.” No one said anything. I grabbed the crook of my arm, so he took blood from me that just sounds crazy.

  Declan began to continue....but I interrupted, “what, that's not enough, pfff, give me a break.”

  “Cale thinks you know who killed Jewel and thinks you're a threat and he can't control you, whatever that means and after the final test results, if they are negative, he'll just have to get rid of you because you know too much.”

  I grabbed the crook of my arm when he mentioned my blood, this all just sounds insane. “Who the heck is Jewel? I don't know any Jewel, and we're already broken up, so what's the big deal.”

  Nic nudged me “Jewel is the girl from the wake earlier this year. Right Declan?” “

  “I must have had a brain cramp, I remember.”

  “And remember when he came up on us in the hall when we were talking about that dream? When he startled
us? We were worried he overheard us. When he says get rid of you...what if he means permanently? Plus, your letters went missing after that.”

  I just started laughing “You watch way too much TV Nic...” No one said anything for a minute.

  “Oh yeah,” Declan said “He also said he wished some guy, he told me his name but I can’t think of it right now, would have gotten a taste of your blood straight from the vein to see what would have happened! Weird, right? So other people need your blood too??? Anyway, the next time Topher said he opened his eyes he had an IV in him and they were taking his blood, but passed back out.”

  Oh...oh...oh....I was starting to put all the pieces together in my head. “Holy crap… nooooo, it can't be all that serious, can it? Was his name…” I swallowed back the nausea in my throat…“was his name Logan?” I asked sluggishly, I was finally getting it.

  Declan nodded “Yeah, maybe, is he the guy who...” and he stopped. “This is very serious. Cale is delusional and needs help. We have to go to the police.” Declan exclaimed. His hands were shaking and he had such a serious look on his face.

  I looked at Nic “What do you think?”

  “I think we need to write down a time line listing all the facts we know - compile everything into a file and then give it to someone, most likely Detective Grey. Maybe we can write down all the dates they need to check Cale's whereabouts.” I just shook my head, everything seems so surreal.

  “So I'm a psycho magnet huh....the questions is, is Jett a maniac that I should stay away from too?”

  “He's not, he's a solid guy, plus I've known him since pre-school and we became best friends in seventh grade, really, he's a good guy.” Declan stuck up for him.

  At the end of practice coach's closing line was “I hope I don't have to remind you that what happens at practice stays at practice.” He glanced over at me, and then rest of the team glanced my way, wonderful, they all know what he was talking about. I was exhausted and not at all ready for my ride home with Jett.

  Nic and I stood in the lobby, I was actually pacing. “This is weird, should I tell Jett that I think it was Cale Friday night? Maybe we should think about it over night before we say anything to anyone.”

  “Sometimes sleeping on it sheds a whole new light on things; at least that's what my mom says.” Nic rattled off.

  “Yeah, maybe I’ll wait one night.” I agreed with her, my head hung low. “Our date didn't go that well, if you look at it as a whole. We got attacked by someone twice, dinner was good, the movie was good, the kissing was amazing.” I just shook my head, biting my thumb nail, looking at the ground.

  I turned around to face Nic and said “Oh my God!” loud and aggravated. Jett was behind her, of course, I could never seem to do anything right around Jett. He looked at me, “Did I take too long?”

  “Of course not, I'm just glad this day is almost over – it was a rough one.” I looked at Nic and shrugged a little.

  “Do you have your stuff? We should get going. Storm is coming out any second.” I grabbed my bag and coat.

  “Ugh, I'm ready.” He walked past me and I was still looking at Nic and I mouthed “Storm” and shrugged my shoulders walking backward. Then I gave her a goofy face and put my hand up to my ear mimicking a phone and mouthed 'Call me later.' She nodded.

  As I went to turn around, Jett stopped abruptly and I bumped right into him. “Oops, sorry I was trying to get a better look.”

  “A better look at what?” He asked, “oh nothing.” He laughed “You really are something aren't you?” I turned around and gave Nic two thumbs up, then quickly followed Jett to the car. He opened the trunk to put his stuff in. “Who else is coming besides Storm?” I may have said it with a little inflection in my voice. He had one hand on top of the trunk looking toward the school, he slid his other into mine. Storm was on his way and he looked grumpy as usual.

  “What, you and Storm don't get along?” Jett asked.

  “No, we get along fine, depending on his mood, of course.”

  He chuckled “Right, no kidding, you can sit up front.” He said to me as Storm was throwing his stuff in the trunk and I got another dirty look from him so I stuck my tongue out at him. “We have to drop Storm off at his friend's house, it's on the way to yours.

  No one said much when Storm was in the car. But as soon as he got out, I felt like I could finally breathe. Until Jett asked “So are you okay, I heard you passed out in wrestling right before I got there. You don't have to be embarrassed either, I have lots of cousins and they stay at our house all the time, so I know about girl troubles.” I sat there and thought for a minute, if I tell him I was faking 'the girl thing' would it sound bad? Probably, but decided to just tell him the absolute truth “I don't get embarrassed about too much, no I didn't pass out from my period but I hear girls have before; I knew saying that would get everyone out of our hair.” I took a deep breath. “Declan had just told me some weird and very disturbing news and I think I just forgot to breath. I had an off day, didn't eat much lunch. You know… got bad news… didn't breathe… I passed out.” I explained nonchalantly.

  “So you don't want to tell me the bad news then.” Jett replied.

  “Ah... no, I don't like complaining about stuff, but once I resolve it in my head I could probably talk about it.” I thought about it....and said “You know teenage stuff can be so dramatic and trivial.” He chuckled a little again and I said “Okay, tell me about your day, it had to be better than mine.”

  He started telling me about some of his classes and then asked me if I was going to college and banter like that. It was nice to have no major turn of events to talk about, not my silly dreams, stalkers or anything dramatic, just pleasant straight talk. I wondered if he appreciated it as much as I did.

  When we got to my house he pulled to the bottom of my driveway, our garage door was open. It was dark outside but there our outside lights were on casting light and dark shadows into his car. I wasn't sure what to do next, but I looked at him with my hand on the door handle and said, “Thanks for the ride,” and gave him hopefully a nice smile.

  “I should get your bag out of the trunk.” He said and we both got out.

  He had trouble with the lock but jiggled it around a bit and then got it open. “You almost didn't have to do homework tonight.” He smiled his sexy little smile and flashed his bright whites.

  “Almost” I replied “Do you wanna come in for a drink?” I said and started to shiver.

  I wanted to say something important, and I was thinking about telling him about Cale just to keep him here talking with me, but then decided against it at the last minute. I wondered if I should ask him out on a date. He closed the trunk after retrieving my bag and leaned on it. I was shivering a little more. He looked in my eyes and gave me his crooked little smile, “Are you cold?” He asked putting his hand out to grab mine.

  He pulled me close to him, between his legs. “I'm always cold.”

  “Always?”

  “Always” I told him. He nudged me closer by putting his hands on my waist, and his lips met mine, a gentle kiss. I stopped shivering.

  The wind was whipping around the corner; I turned my head away from him so my hair would blow away from our faces. He slid my bag off of my shoulder and led me into the garage, setting my bag down by the door.

  He pulled me into him; since his coat was open I dug my hands under it and around him. I buried my face in his shoulder and breathed him in. He smelled so good and he was so warm. I wasn't worried about anything anymore, I just couldn't seem to care right now.

  I left my head tucked against his shoulder wishing he didn't have to go. I thought of nothing to say, I just felt safe and warm. I didn't want to move.... and then, finally, I lifted my head and his lips came down on mine with the softest touch, I felt very connected to him. He took my breath away; then he kissed me more urgently, as if it was our last.

  A slow, burning fire coursed through me, and I knew I wanted to be with him. I wondered if
he felt the same way. His muscular arms encircled me, securing me to him, just as I've dreamt of so many times. He released me and said good night. I just stood there in the dim light from my garage and watched him pull away. My chest felt heavy and sad and I knew he wasn't going to call.

  I was running and running through foliage and trees with my wolf. In the ravine behind my house, I knew exactly where I was going. He was chasing me. I looked back he was gaining on me, I turned right and ran as fast I could. I looked again and saw nothing. I high tailed it up our dirty slide. As I was running up, I flashed back to the pool with the freezing water and the creepy guy looking at me, next I was in the lobby and the guy on the shiny payphone turned to look at me, at the Monaham's after my attack I stood up and saw the stranger in the front yard, all the eyes were the same and glowing at me, just like my wolf’s eyes did. I reached the top of the dirty slide and after I cleared the brush Cale was standing in my yard. He was smiling at me with his arms crossed and sunglasses on; some guy was lurking behind him in the distance. I yelled “Hey” at him. Cale took off his glasses, glanced back at the guy behind him, he didn’t seem too concerned with the ominous figure and then back at me, his eyes were glowing. I woke up it was 3:17a.m.

  CHAPTER 16

  I had been having strange dreams all weekend and I only remembered bits and pieces of the one I had last night. They weren't particularly scary, but I still felt panicked when I woke up. Something bad had happened, someone was injured but I'm not quite sure who. I remembered getting an ice pack out for something urgent but didn't know why and then tying off something, not sure what. It was confusing, nothing made sense. Maybe because my last encounter with Jett didn't make any sense. The kiss felt real, but it also felt final. If it was final why bother taking me home? He could have just let everything lie and that would have been that, we wouldn't have dated again. Why drive me home, lay a couple on me, make my heart flutter and never call again?? What’s with that?