Dream Catcher

by M. C. Cerny

  Thinking about the kiss, her lips on mine, she tasted nothing like chicken. Heck, no woman tasted like chicken, it was a ridiculous statement, but I was eager to tell Jase, just to shut him up and rub it in. I hadn’t planned to kiss her like that in the library, openly and wanting so much more. Adjusting my painfully erect dick in my jeans was difficult while driving, moving my hips around in my seat to get comfortable. Admittedly, I felt the dare to kiss her pink lips when her phone buzzed in her jean pocket, seeing it was her dickhole ex-boyfriend still calling her. Why did he keep calling her? Unusual anger and protective instincts rose up just thinking about how he’d treated her in the past. Vowing she would never feel that way with me if she trusted her heart to my keeping, my hand punched against my steering wheel.

  From what Reagan had told me, Dillon Sexton was a real loser. What guy with a kid and responsibilities treated women that way? Saying cruel things to Kerri and disrupting her life in Woodland Creek for no good reason other than his selfishness. I despised people like that. Part of me wanted to ask her if her parents were okay with it, but I figured that was another Pandora’s Box for another day. Dillon douche-canoe milked the free babysitting for all it was worth with some false promises. He was a real fucking charmer.

  Kerri’s face when she’d realized it was him had gone from her shy smile to hurt and sadness. Part of me knew she still had some kind of feelings toward him even if she said they were not together anymore. A breakup didn’t always mean your feelings followed suit at the same time. I guessed the idiot didn’t get the memo, but I could wait for her heart to open up for me if she wasn’t ready. Though nothing about her kiss in kind told me she wasn’t ready for something…I had no problem reminding the idiot if he ever decided to show his ugly mug there in town.

  * * * * * *

  Getting back to my house, I walked inside with more spring in my step, dumping my car keys into a decorative dish Reagan made in a pottery class for Jase. The keys clanged against the brown and gold glazed ceramic leaf, yet the house was still quiet.

  “Dude, Jase, where are you?” Making loud noises so he would hear me, I called for my jackass cousin and walked into his bedroom without knocking on his door. Jackass did it to me all the time, so I didn’t think anything of it, caught up in my own happiness.

  Kerri is coming out with me tonight.

  I smiled.

  Kerri said yes.

  Warmth punched my chest.

  It’s like an actual date.

  I loved how her lips tasted.

  “DUDE! Get the fuck out!” My musing over Kerri came to a screeching halt with the next scene before me.

  “Warren!” With her tail feathers in bunch, Reagan yelled back, almost falling to the floor.

  “Ah, God, I don’t need to see this!” Cringing, I shielded my eyes after walking in on Jase and Reagan on the floor perfecting some weird ass yoga move. On his flat screen TV an older man bended in a pretzel like position with a woman balancing on his outstretched legs, something I guessed they’d been attempting to do.

  I said that was disturbing because Jase was wearing some ‘man spanks’ with his dick all contorted in an unnatural way. I didn’t need to see that, think about it, or know it. We were family and roommates, for crying out loud.

  “So don’t look, dipshit,” Jase grumbled and gently lowered Reagan to the ground in a tangle of limbs. She reached for a towel to throw over her shoulders, huffing with exaggerated breaths.

  “Kind of hard not to with your damn junk hanging out all over.” I waved my hand at the two of them, backing out of his room. Reagan didn’t look any better, her thin body wearing a practically painted on bodysuit and her nipples, which I shouldn’t have noticed, were pressed out into hard little points.

  “I don’t understand what your issue is with yoga. You totally ruined the meditative mood.” Reagan stepped around me, smacking my arm.

  “Uh, sorry. It’s kind of hard when neither of you sees fit to wear actual clothes when you do it.” With an irritated snort, I headed into the kitchen where Jase grabbed bottled water, tossing one to Reagan and keeping one for himself. “Do I get one?”

  “Dude, get it yourself,” Jase ground out, walking away from the fridge, bumping against me.

  “So what the heck had you barging in here all crazy happy you neglected the good old sock on the doorknob clue?” Reagan hopped up on the counter in her X-rated yoga clothes and a sweatshirt Jase handed her.

  “There was a sock on the door?” I asked, grabbing my drink and leaning against the counter on the opposite side of them.

  “There was.” Reagan glanced at Jase’s red face. Sighing, I played with the bottle cap between my fingers.

  “You fucking kissed her, didn’t you?” Interrogating me instead, Jase ignored his sock on the door blunder. I shrugged, letting him stew.

  “Oh my God, look at him. He’s practically glowing with it.” Reagan snickered.

  “Yeah, and it was glorious. Nothing like chicken.” Laughing and waiting for it, Reagan pelted me with her empty plastic water bottle, eyes now rolling and disgusted over my rare display of chauvinism.

  “Asshole.” Muttering, Reagan’s face contorted from the smile, giving me a disapproving look.

  “Oh, come on. If anyone tasted close to chicken it would be you.” Now Jase looked pissed and Reagan got ready to jump off the counter and hit me with something else. I was glad the silverware was out of reach in the drawer behind me.

  “WHAT?” Screeching Reagan was almost worse than her hitting me. Years ago as kids, we played spin the bottle. Reagan and I shared our first kiss together as teens. It was an awful experience, neither of us having a clue what to do the very first time. I was sure Jase had taught her a few things since then. All I could remember was how nervous we were and how she nearly pecked my face off with her quick and jumpy movements. Over the years when it was randomly brought up, Jase got crazy jealous the game played out that way. He ended up kissing some other girl, thus starting the green-eyed tit for tat between him and Reagan that lasted for years until now.

  “Dude. I should let her eat you alive.” Jase held back a squirming and pissed off Reagan.

  Teasing them was fun because I knew they’d get over it. Deciding to share my idea for the evening with them, I felt certain it was a great idea. “Yes, but then how would we get to the bonfire up at the cliffs tonight?”

  “Ooh! So now that you’ve gotten a taste of the forbidden fruit you’re going to want more.” Shrugging, I knew that my truck was probably the best vehicle for us to take up there instead of Reagan’s midget car, Jase’s Pontiac GrandAm, or Kerri’s clunker.

  “Exactly.” I tipped my drink of water in their direction, nodding.

  “Bonfire it is.” Jase put Reagan down, who rushed to punch me in the arm as expected, stinging the muscles.

  “Dick,” she muttered, walking away.

  Chapter Eleven

  “If you run from a wolf, you may run into a bear.” Lithuanian Proverb

  KERRI

  “I am so excited we’re finally going to go hang out at the cliffs tonight.” Reagan jumped up and down, fluttering around our room. She pulled out a scarf from her closet, wrapping it around my neck artfully in a looping knot.

  “So, what exactly are these cliffs we’re going to?” I stared at myself in the mirror, hoping I was wearing the right outfit. Another pair of dark skinny jeans, tall boots with a loose blouse tucked in with my belt. Warren reminded me to bring a jacket because it was going to be windy and cold tonight, the temperatures dropping after sundown. I grabbed a fuzzy bright red zip-up North Face jacket that wouldn’t make me look like a puffy marshmallow in a parka. It was a bit early to drag out the big coat and Reagan convinced me I looked fine since my ass was all curvy in those jeans. She definitely had a way with words and fashion.

  “It’s actually called the Fool’s Gold Cliff Recreational area.”

  “Sounds like a mouthful.” Musing, I adjusted the scarf around my ne
ck, wondering what this place was.

  “Hey, leave my work untouched, missy.” Reagan swatted my hands away and fixed the scarf again. “Think big cliff with cool rocks and shit.”

  “Oh, that’s descriptive, Reagan.” Reagan was a good roommate to have when she wasn’t tormenting me with half sentences and explanations.

  With her signature expression of rolling her eyes, she continued. “Calm your tits, Kerri. The boys will get a campfire going and we’ll all snuggle up and hang out. Warren loves going there.” She turned away from me to left me hanging with that tidbit on purpose.

  Frustration with her made me groan. “Really?” That I found to be intriguing, yet another cool detail about him that I wanted to soak up. I got so few of those between Reagan and Jase. Warren was pretty tight-lipped about himself, but he usually made me spill little details about myself and my life back home, listening to me aptly.

  “Well…there have also been rumors about the cliffs my entire life.” Reagan’s eyes darted between me and the mirror while she layered on more eye makeup. We were going to a campfire and she consumed eye shadow like it was feast or famine, layering on smoky eyes that made her dark orbs pop. “Warren says there were a few…” Her mouth made an “O” shape as she layered a swipe of eyeliner on. “Native American ceremonies there about two hundred years ago. All sorts of things have happened up there over the years.” An involuntary shudder coursed through me, thinking about old town urban legends for some strange reason. It’s all fake, right?

  “Awww, don’t look so worried, Kerri. Warren and Jase will be there with us. What could possibly happen?” Right…what could happen? It was all in my head and I tried to let it go so I could calm the butterflies in my stomach.

  “Hmm.”

  “His dad is actually from one of the old tribes that used to populate the area back in the day. He’s gorgeous for an old dude. Think like a young chisel faced Daniel Day-Lewis with long hair in his heyday.” Reagan poked me and went back to applying her makeup, leaving me to think on that, interrupting my thoughts again. “Warren’s dad rocks the man bun.” I wasn’t sure what to think about that.

  “Isn’t he like in his sixties now? The actor, I mean.” I tried thinking of a movie I’d seen him in recently, but nothing came to mind.

  “He’s fifty-eight, but who’s counting.” Reagan shrugged it off. Apparently you are, roomie. I was kind of weirded out that she thought Warren’s dad was hot because she was dating Jase, but I let it go to finish getting ready, pulling my hair up into a high ponytail.

  “Neat.” Mumbling, I guessed if there were haunted stories about the cliffs it was okay. We would be with the guys and nothing bad would happen. Though, I wasn’t the type to enjoy a scary movie and I refused to watch The Walking Dead television show because I wouldn’t sleep at night if I did.

  “Oh, come on…do you really think Warren would take you somewhere unsafe?” Reagan was folding up some of her clothes to put away, letting my thoughts run rampant. I decided the answer was no, but I had a lingering feeling of dread about the night.

  “He said he would make sure there was a group with us tonight.” I adjusted the scarf a third time in the mirror, reviewing my appearance. My eyes looked soft with my minimal makeup and lips pouty from my nude lipstick.

  Reagan laughed to some private little joke, speaking again. “My dear, that’s because he doesn’t want to pounce on you in public. More people around, the less likely he’ll give in to his baser instincts.” Before I could demand she tell me more, I had a second before the door to our room was knocked on, flinging open to reveal Jase and Warren standing outside, pushing each other back and forth.

  “Boys.” Reagan stood between us, her arms crossed and clucking.

  “Hi, Reagan.” Jase puffed up his chest, stretching his arms out in the hallway to covertly smack Warren on the back of his head. What has gotten into them?

  A dirty look passed between them and Warren stepped inside the dorm room, sucking up all the available space with his body. He picked up Reagan, moving her with a squeak, and placed her down behind him easily.

  He stalked his way over to me and my heart did a crazy pitter-patter when he got close. “Hey.”

  “Hey, stranger.” I didn’t know what else to say. The energy in the room between us was like arcing bolts of electricity, fueling the other and bouncing back and forth in a brilliant light.

  Leaning down to me, his lips caressed my ear, speaking in a whisper only loud enough for me. “I saw you a few hours ago, hardly a stranger then.” I ducked my head shyly as he spoke. He took my clutched hands in his and pulled me into his embrace for a distance crushing hug. Quickly kissing my forehead, he pulled my hand along to leave the room.

  Reagan looked bug-eyed by Warren’s open attention to me and stepped aside for us to walk by. Jase made some pained sound and I half turned, bumping into Warren, who took my hips and turned me back around to keep walking. I swore I heard him mutter something about Jase shutting up, but it happened too fast for me to catch it. The four of us bounded down the staircase inside Lupin Hall to the parking lot, the elevator still out of service, and old-fashioned looking sconces lit the hallway as we exited the building. I looked up at the mural for a second and swore the animals painted there had moved. I knew that was impossible, because there was no such thing as magic.

  * * * * *

  Driving up to the cliff on the border of Woodland Creek took less time than I assumed it would. Stepping out of the truck, I was stunned by the beauty of the nearly two hundred feet tall cliff facing us. Reagan busied herself gathering the s’more, making supplies of chocolate, marshmallows, graham crackers, and Warren’s secret ingredient of caramel sauce. Alone, I walked toward the rocks.

  “Wow.” My breath fogged in the cool air and I felt Warren standing behind me, beginning to rub his hands down my chilled arms.

  Close to my ear, he whispered, “It’s pretty nice, but not as pretty as looking at you.” He squeezed me and let me go to grab the firewood he and Jase brought in the back of the truck. I walked over to the rock face and imagined what it must be like to scale the cliff. There were randomly peppered holes and links in the rock, indicating that someone must come here and belay the surface.

  “Is it safe to climb the cliff face?” Turning, I asked my friends. They all shrugged and I joined them on an overturned log while the fire got going.

  “I’ve been out here once on an EMS call last year. A climber fell when his peg popped right out of the fool’s gold and he fell fifteen feet, breaking his leg with a compound fracture.”

  “Dude, I remember that call.” Jase nodded, adding to the story, telling me that the guy was trying to impress his group of friends. He fell, getting too cocky, hooking in his safety harness and then his footing slipped, taking him down. He was lucky to have gotten a broken leg and nothing else.

  The impressive rocks twinkled innocently in the moonlight and the fire crackled, popping with blue and orange flames against the dark sky blanketing us. Feeling lulled by the warmth of the fire and new friends, I leaned into Warren as he put an arm around me, wrapping a blanket from his truck over our legs. I felt safe and cared for, thankful to have found my courage to leave Ann Arbor and everything familiar. Warren made me want to take a chance on relationships again after Dillon’s rough treatment of my feelings.

  A voice penetrated our peaceful gathering. “Didn’t realize you’d bring out little red riding hood to play.” Squinting into the dark, I saw something gracefully inching its way down the rock face from above us. Warren tensed next to me like a fully extended rubber band ready to fly.

  “Ugh, so much for making the s’mores.” With exasperation, Reagan tossed a stick into the fire and stood up, blocking the body of the voice from my immediate view.

  “Shit.” Jase stood up, dumping his beer into the fire, pitching us into darkness with only the super moon to illuminate the shadows.

  “Who is that?” I tried to see around them, but couldn’t
as Reagan was squeezed against me by Jase. I was sandwiched between the guys and my heart sank in my stomach.

  “That’s Creighton,” she said, leaning into me. I couldn’t see him except that he seemed misshapen standing in the shadows.

  “Reagan, take Kerri to the truck. Now.” Warren’s tone brooked no argument, but I couldn’t help myself.

  “Warren, what’s going on?” I hesitated and he directed me to go with Reagan, pulling on my arm.

  “Not so fast, I’d like to meet our new friend as well.” Another voice hissed before I could see the body elongate upright, then shorten into the form of a leanly muscular guy. His skin looked strangely peppered with scales, hair long in what light I could see.

  “Well, it’s a regular West Side Story tonight now, isn’t it, folks?” Sarcasm dripped from Reagan’s lips as she tried tugging me away. “Kerri, honey, let’s go.” Resisting, I didn’t follow her.

  “Boone.” Hissing, the man addressed him again and I touched Warren’s arm, muscles taught and surprisingly...hairy? Caught off guard, I looked at his forearm, which was sporting a lot more body hair than I recalled earlier tonight.

  “Warren?” Confused, Reagan pulled harder and panicked, but I didn’t budge.

  “I thought we had a truce, Stefano.” I was afraid to look up because this evening had quickly become the stuff of puzzled nightmares and the pieces didn’t yet fit together.

  “Tsk, tsk. But you’ve come so close to the border, how could I not drop in to say hello and meet your…human…friend. Hmm?” The way he said human made it sound like it was a disgusting thing to be and I wanted to run away.