“How old are you?” He asked as I leaned my head on his shoulder.
“Eighteen.” I breathed in the fresh air. “You?”
“Same.” He said laughing.
His body was cool which in turn made my body cool. This was a great feeling to have when it was over ninety outside.
“What are you doing this Saturday?” He asked me as he leaned his head on top of mine.
“Nothing.” I grinned as the wind blew through our hair.
“You want to go to a movie?” He was asking me out.
“Sure.” My body went numb. He had asked me out. Oh my God!
We sat in the grass for a few minutes while I day dreamed about our first date. It was about ten minutes in when he suddenly started to lean towards stopping half way before pulling himself erect and running his fingers through his brown hair. He did the same thing a total of three times. I wasn’t sure if he was attempting vertical sit-ups or trying to kiss me.
"You know you are totally giving me a complex here." I said dryly looking at him confused.
“I didn’t think it would be this hard.” He muttered leaning forward his head in his hands.
He looked at me with those blue eyes. They were sparkling, dazzling and very captivating.
“You didn’t think what would be so hard? Wierding me out? Because if it is you are doing an awesome job at it.” I said fighting this inner urge to touch him.
He let out a nervous laugh, “I haven’t met someone in a very long time that I had any interest in. I just didn’t realize it would be so hard to just...” I don’t know what came over me I sat up leaned down and kissed him on his cheek.
His eyes flew open and a smile spread across his lips like I had just answered all his questions.
****
I dropped him off at his house at about a quarter after seven. He had kissed me on the cheek and got out of the car hesitantly.
“I had a great time.” He said as I walked around to the driver’s side of my car.
“I did too.” I grinned from ear to ear.
“I can’t wait for Saturday.” He hugged me briefly the coolness of his body calming the warmth in me.
“I can’t either.” I smiled at him as he let me go and turned to walk away.
“Tomorrow in class then?” He looked at me.
“Of course.” I waved him on as I got in my car.
I watched him walk up the driveway and disappear around the corner. Pulling my car from the side of the road I drove home with a smile on my face.
My mother was sitting in the living room when I entered the house. She was reading one of her many books and took no notice of me at first. I put my bag down on the table and stretched.
“Have fun?” She asked me looking up from her chapter.
“Yeah.” I smiled at her.
“You are late. Next time it wouldn’t hurt to send me a text message to let me know where you are.” She raised an eyebrow and gave me a stern look.
“Sorry mom. I wasn’t meaning to give you a fright.” I winked at her and her face perked.
“I think you are the last person I need to worry about.” I always loved it when she went into mom mode.
“True. Still though next time I will make sure to be courteous.” I popped my knuckles.
“Thank you. So who were you with?” She asked the curiosity was starting to show.
“Out.” I said vaguely.
“With?” She pushed.
“A boy.” I said glancing at her. “We don’t have anything going on this weekend do we?”
“Nope. Not that I know of at least.” I glanced at her. She was reopening her book.
“I’m going to go and do my homework now.” I walked over to her and kissed her on the top of her head.
“Make sure you do it right.” She instructed pointing towards my room. “No TV till it’s done.”
“Seriously mom? Where do you get this stuff?” I groaned as I turned to leave the room.
“What? The last I heard was that there was no TV till the homework was done.” She looked like I was supposed to know this.
“What are you reading mom?” I asked as I made my way back into the kitchen.
“Nothing special.” She said smiling at me before returning to her book.
I left the kitchen and went into my room. I threw my bag on my desk and walked over to my stereo. Turning on my music I settled in for a few hours of Trig and my report on the Federal Government. I was about half way through my math homework when my phone buzzed. Reaching over I grabbed it and smiled.
Wesley: Was thinking about you.
I laughed to myself. He was really turning on the charm.
Me: I was thinking about you too.
It wasn’t a complete lie. In between answering math problems I had replayed our afternoon over and over again.
Wesley: Wish I could see you right now.
I shook my head.
Me: *attach image*
I sent him a quick selfie of me doing my math homework. I didn’t even make it a pretty one. Instead I had crossed my eyes and made a gesture like I was stabbing myself through the temple with a pencil. In response to my image I received one in return. The phone fell out of my hands. He had sent me one of him lying in bed in nothing but his sleep pants.
Me: You look comfortable.
I hit myself in the face. Man I was starting to show how lame I was. If he was interested in me now he wouldn’t be after this conversation.
Wesley: You look stressed.
I laughed. Maybe I was wrong about this boy.
Me: I have to get this done. Text you before bed.
Wesley: Ok.
I put my phone down and proceeded to answer the next ten questions on my sheet of problems. I admit I kept going back to the image of Wesley. Eighteen year old bodies aren’t supposed to look like his. How was it even possible?
By eleven I had been home-worked out. I put down my pencil and rubbed my eyes. I thought I was confused about religion. Try spending several hours trying to figure out the American Government. I put my books back in my bag and shut my lap top. There wasn’t much else that I could do tonight.
I changed into my sleep clothes and braided my hair in pig tails letting them hang in the front. I picked up my phone and opened Wesley’s message taking on last longing look at the image he had sent me.
I turned on the camera of my phone and took a shot of me lying in bed. It wasn’t exposing anything my baby doll shirt covered every important part of my upper anatomy all it did was leave a little hint of flesh of my stomach.
Me: *attached image* Heading to bed.
Wesley: Lucky bed! See you tomorrow beautiful. Sleep well.
I put my phone on my end table and rolled on my side. My head was swimming with all the images of the day. I fell asleep welcoming the darkness.
Chapter Seven
With This Ring
“Dawn!” My mother called from the living room.
It was Friday already and Wesley and I had spent every day after school together in the park just talking. It was nice to have someone I could feel comfortable with. Not to mention someone that seemed to have his own cooling system.
“What’s up mom?” I asked as I ran from my room.
“You have plans tonight?” She asked as I came into the room.
“No, not tonight.” I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“No reason.” She smiled sweetly. She had a reason.
“No really Mom. You don’t ask me what I’m doing if you don’t have plans already.” I frowned at her.
“Want to start a fire?” She said.
“The last time you said that I burnt down the shed at the old house.” I was confused.
“No. I mean do you want to start a fire and roast hotdogs tonight.” She rolled her eyes.
“Oh. Yeah that sounds like fun.” My frown turned into a smile.
I loved when we spent time together. I loved it more when we did it before everything had ha
ppened. She was starting to feel better I could see it in her face. All her work at the church was paying off. Maybe all we had to do was leave El Paso for her to find herself again.
We grabbed the hotdogs and buns from the kitchen and went outside. She had dug a fire pit in the middle of the backyard. She must have done this while I was at school because it wasn’t there yesterday.
“Do your worst.” She pointed at the pit.
I rubbed my hands together and closed my eyes once I felt the warm prickle in my fingers I opened them willing the fire to escape. The flame hit the pit and instantly started a warm fire. She put the hotdogs on two spits handing one to me. We took a seat on the concrete blocks and roasted our dinner.
“What brought this one Mom?” I asked softly as my hotdog began to sizzle.
“I figured we hadn’t had a good night just the two of us in a while. I miss spending time with you.” She looked at the fire as if she wished she could jump in.
“I missed spending time with you too Mom.” I smiled at her and she winked back at me.
“So what are your plans tomorrow?” She asked.
I had a feeling she knew something. She always knew something. I couldn’t go a day without her asking about something that had happened during my day. It was as if the moment I was in her presence she could read my mind. All kidding aside I thought she really could.
“Nothing much. Just thought I would catch a movie in town.” I said not wanting to tell her that it was a date.
“Oh? Anyone special?” She asked as we put our hotdogs on their buns and smothering them in mustard.
“I suppose.” I lied.
The longer I spent with Wesley the more I wanted to be with him. We had only shared the one kiss on the cheek in the previous days though there had been plenty of hand holding and hugging. He was old fashioned I suppose. Never once did he make a pass at me. Not that I would have stopped him. I probably would have died right there in his arms actually.
“Do tell.” She said leaning forward.
I laughed instead.
****
I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling when my phone buzzed. Every night around the same time we would send message to one another. I had often fallen asleep talking to him but he never held it against me. It had been five days since we first met and it felt like I had known him most of my life.
Wesley: What are you doing?
Me: Lying in bed.
Wesley: Sounds like fun.
Me: What about you?
Wesley: Watching a really crappy horror movie.
Me: That sounds like fun.
Wesley: Yeah, just wish you were here watching it with me.
Me: Me too.
Our conversations always bordered on the edge of romance.
As I had mentioned before I was no stranger to teenage relationships. I had my fair share of boyfriends while we lived in El Paso. None of them wowed me enough to fall in love. I had in fact, never been in love. I had also never been up till after midnight texting a boy that I had known for a few days. On the outside looking in we appeared as if we were nothing more than friends. From the inside looking out though, it was as if we were already beyond that point.
Neither of us would admit it though. We knew something was there. I mean really look at our last conversation. There was a mutual attraction forming. We longed to be near the other when we were apart. The students at school pretty much ignored us together. I received a few sporadic death looks in the hallway, but all in all they were blind to what was happening.
Wesley: I’m excited about tomorrow.
Me: Yeah, me too.
Wesley: What time do you want me to pick you up?
Me: I figured we could just meet in town.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to meet my mother. It was just that I wasn’t ready for all the questions that she would ask. She would want to know all of his family history. I guess in a way to see if she had maybe met an ancestor of his in the afterlife. It was easier this way. At least then if the date went bad I could come home and he wouldn’t have to know where I lived.
Wesley: You scared of me meeting your mom?
Me: Actually yeah. I just want to make sure she doesn’t freak when she meets you.
Wesley: She into death metal and Satan or something?
Me: Why do you ask?
Wesley: Have you looked in the mirror recently?
Alright, that I would give to him. In this day and age I was considered Goth by fashion sense. I always wore black, always had a dark look on my face, and always listened to my music loud. While the other kids got in their cars blaring the newest Bruno Mars I got into mine blaring Pantera or Metallica.
I was a mother’s worse nightmare honestly. Even my ex-boyfriends feared the inevitable when it came to meeting the parents. That was probably why shortly after I always found myself single.
Me: Not the point! My mother is a different breed of mom.
Wesley: Then it is probably best she doesn’t meet my father.
We talked for a bit longer before deciding to go to bed. I laid there for a bit in the silence before I let sleep take me.
****
Standing outside the theater house in the Midvale square I waited for Wesley. He had said we should meet at six out front for the seven o’clock showing. However, I was already nearing six thirty. I was becoming antsy. Had he stood me up? I felt hurt and anger mixed together. Nobody would make a fool of me.
I stomped to my car and swung the door open throwing myself into my seat I grabbed my phone and frantically texted his number.
Me: I’m standing outside the theater wondering where you are. You said six right?
I waited for him to respond but just like every other text message it sat there with no response. My heart was pounding. I had to take a walk if I didn’t I would wind up singing the upholstery of my car. I enjoyed my seat covers. The last thing I wanted was to burn them.
Getting out my car I took one last look around finding that Wesley was nowhere in sight. This is what I get for actually thinking that a guy was into me. I walked along the sidewalk letting the late summer air hit me in the face. My hand stuffed securely in my pockets my head down. The anger in me kept pulsating. I was hoping by keeping my hands concealed nobody could see the sparks if they decided to fly.
I rounded the corner heading towards the main drag. There was a pond just on the other side of the road and I figured being near water was probably in my best interest. I saw two figures across the road in the darkness. Their faces were so close together it almost looked as if they melted into one. I couldn’t hear them at first than the words flowed over the air.
“You know you cannot ignore her.” The male voice was seething. I could almost see his lips parting from his teeth and sneering at the other figure.
“I can and I will.” I paused. It was Wesley’s voice.
“She demands you return.” The other figure grabbed Wesley around the throat and backed him into a tree. “You do as the mistress commands.”
“Don’t you ever just want to be alone John?” Wesley was unaffected by the treatment this man was giving him.
“Why are you so special to her?” I could see the boy had dark black hair that curled in the front. His eyes were ice.
Wesley looked at the boy and smiled cruelly.
“Maybe I’m just better than you.” He bit at the other boy. Wesley’s eyes were hard and cold as he stared at the boy he had called John.
The other boy’s eyes shot towards me and dropped Wesley from his grasp. I trotted over and he grabbed my hand holding it close to his side as if he was protecting me.
“Watch your back Jensen. I won’t let you run away like she did.” The man looked at me and smiled. “I will see you soon enough.”
Wesley stood there holding me close his face not moving until the dark haired boy was out of sight.
“What was that supposed to mean?” I asked as he squeezed my hand.
“I
wouldn’t worry about it. He is all talk and very little action.” He turned his head towards me. “I am so sorry.”
“No, I just thought you had stood me up is all.” I shook my head. “That was a bit intense don’t you think?”
“Naw. John is relatively harmless.” He tried to smile but there was something in his eye that told me the other boy was far from harmless.
“You ok?” I looked up at him and he pulled me closer to him wrapping his arms around my waist kissing me on the forehead.
“Yeah. I’m much better now.” He laughed as buried my face into his cool chest.
“What was he talking about?” I asked my voice muffled by his shirt.
“What do you mean?” I could feel him playing with my curls.
“Who demands for you to return?” I questioned.
He tensed for a second and then his body relaxed.
“There are some things about me that are better left unknown.” He said simply, and I didn’t press the issue.
We stood there for a while just holding each other. I had a feeling he was waiting to see if the dark haired boy would reappear. When he was satisfied that he was gone we were good. He led me to the grass, and we laid back into it and looked at the stars.
“So tell me Dawn, did you leave some heartbroken boyfriend back in Texas?” He teased me.
I let out a little laugh and shook my head.
“You might find this hard to believe but I really didn’t date much back home. Boyfriends were few and far between. The only guys that would go out with me went to other high schools. Everyone at my school was too scared to even look at me.” I saw his eyes shadow for a second.
“So that means no boyfriend then?” He grinned like a Cheshire cat.
“That means no boyfriend.” I repeated.
“Well if you are ever in the market for one. I have someone that would be interested in the position.” He blushed as I smiled.
It had been so long since I had smiled. Not that I don’t smile at all. I just don’t genuinely smile. I save those for special occasions. Apparently every moment I spent with him was a special occasion.
Inside the Fire Book One in the Warden's Series Page 5