“So what’s the problem?” Ezra asked, wrapping his arm around Tanya. He was careful not to crush her wings, and she snuggled up against him–perfectly content–even though they had to hide their relationship from anyone that wasn’t me, Finn, or Holly. “If you’re so sure about your feelings for him, why keep him at arm’s length?”
“Ezra!”
“I’m just asking,” he said.
“It’s alright,” I said to Tanya. To Ezra, I said, “I don’t know why I’m keeping him away. Maybe I’m just a little scared because I don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to dating and love and relationships and all that stuff. I can count on one hand the number of guys that I’ve kissed, and I haven’t done a whole lot more than that. And compared to Finn, I’m like a child in the experience department.”
Holly snorted again. “You and Finn are more like a baby and a twice divorced forty-five year old man. He’s probably had more sex partners than the lead singer of a seventies rock band that’s been on stage for thirty years.”
“Thank you for that lovely image,” I said just a bit sarcastically, thinking about shaggy hair, leather pants, shirtless guitarists, and backstage groupies. “Like I need to be even more unsure of us than I already am.” I put my head in my hands. Suddenly, all I could think about was Finn, and his amazing eyes, and his gentle touch, and the way he looked at me. “What am I gonna do?”
“Go for it,” Tanya said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world to understand. “Just kiss him and get it over with. Put your fears and insecurities behind you, and just act. It’s not that hard to do.”
Finn walked into the recreational room, cutting off any reply I might have given Tanya. Not that I had one that would satisfy her or anyone else in the room. I needed time to think about such a huge decision, and as long as Finn was alright with it, I didn’t have to worry.
He twirled car keys in his hand, and he gave me a smile. “Ready to go? The Council said we have an hour before they want us back, so we’ll have to make it quick, if we don’t wanna get in trouble.” He looked from me to Tanya, Ezra, and Holly, and I realized the three of them were watching both of us, as if waiting for something to happen.
Finn cleared his throat nervously, and I ducked my head so he wouldn’t see me smile. “Alright, let’s go.” Finn handed me my sweater, which was draped over a chair, and he helped me into it. Ezra and Holly made kissing noises, and I felt my face start to turn red. Finn shrugged it off with another smile, and when my sweater was on, he didn’t remove his hand from my back, and I didn’t ask him to move it.
“Ready?”
I nodded. “Yeah, let’s go. We don’t wanna waste what time we have.”
He gave me a funny look, and for the second time since he walked through the door just minutes ago, he and I found ourselves in an uncomfortable silence. Holly, Ezra, and Tanya watched us anxiously, waiting for something to happen. “Um, let’s just go.”
*****
The book store was mostly empty, except for a few shoppers that gave Finn and I both odd, untrustworthy looks as we passed by. It had been a while since I’d set foot in town, and people began to gossip about my return almost immediately. It didn’t help that I had Finn by my side, since a few people would probably recognize him as the young man standing outside my house.
We passed Mrs. Roberts and Mrs. Hood, who were at the bookstore with their young children, and they turned and gave me cold looks. I held my head high, unsure of what else to do, and tried to ignore their mindless chatter as we passed. “You know, I heard that her boyfriend got her hooked on heroin, and she’s been in rehab for the last couple of months.”
Mrs. Hood nodded solemnly, and the two of them pretended that I couldn’t see or hear them. “I heard that her boyfriend got her pregnant, and Alan and Susan sent her away to get it taken care of.”
Mrs. Roberts shook her head sadly, as if she couldn’t believe a girl like me could fall so far. She never liked me, and made no secret of it as I was growing up. She was too old school for her own good, and she was mistrustful of many things, including foster children that had been orphaned at a young age. While most people had looked at me with pity, she had always looked at me with obvious mistrust.
Like I was dangerous.
Like I was a disease.
Like I was a loner that needed to be kept away from people like her and her children at all costs.
The two continued to gossip, but I dragged Finn away from the section they were occupying. He looked angry at what they were saying about me, and I didn’t want to get into a massive confrontation while we were here in town. If someone goaded him into fighting, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to stop Finn, so it was probably best to just avoid everyone when possible.
I quickly found the section I was looking for, and began browsing the titles on the shelves. Finn leaned against the wall behind me, and I could practically feel his eyes boring into my back. My cheeks began to burn, and I tried to keep my heart from racing. I hoped he wouldn’t notice my erratic heartbeat, but his chuckle told me that he did, and he was enjoying the effect he had on me.
I grabbed a thick book to distract my racing heart, and I read the back cover as slowly and thoroughly as possible. After reading it three times, I finally understood that it was about a human girl who fell in love with both a vampire and a werewolf, and I put it back with a shudder. Now that I’d lived in the supernatural world, the thought of reading anything categorized as paranormal romance gave me an uncomfortable feeling deep in my gut. It just didn’t feel right anymore, even though it used to be my favorite genre to read.
I grabbed a nearby book with a robotic woman on the front, and began to read the back. As I was reading, Finn left his spot on the wall and crept up beside me. He began to read over my shoulder, and I looked up to find his face mere inches from mine. His breath tickled my cheek, and I felt myself being drawn closer to him. When our lips were only inches apart, he finally seemed to realize the effect he was having on me, and pulled away.
I tried not to let the fact that I was more than slightly disappointed get to me. I shouldn’t be longing to have Finn so close to me until I was sure my mind was made up, but it kind of hurt to have him pull away from me.
“Sorry,” he muttered, taking a quick step back. He crossed his arms over his chest and began to look at anything other than me, and I went back to my book. “Hey,” he said in a husky voice. When I looked up, I felt my blood begin to boil as I realized he wasn’t talking to me. He was talking to a pretty blonde girl that had just walked in, and I gripped the book in my hands so tightly the pages nearly groaned.
The girl smiled hesitantly at him, as if she was unused to male attention, and I slammed the book back down on the shelf. While Finn introduced himself to the strange girl, I slipped around the book shelf and out of their sight, making my way from the young adult section to the science fiction section. It was the farthest away from Finn I could get without leaving the store.
I angrily grabbed a book from the shelf and pretended to read it. I didn’t notice someone was with me until she spoke. “Is that your boyfriend?” I looked over into a pair of dark brown eyes that looked almost concerned. “If he is, I think you should go over there and show that girl who she’s messing with.”
“What?” I asked.
She immediately blushed and looked away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to force my way into your personal life; I just saw the look on your face when you saw the two of them flirting. I thought he might be your boyfriend.”
“He’s not. Yet.”
She nodded, as if she understood. “I get it. You wanted time to think about it, and he’s not okay with that.” I shrugged my shoulders, surprised this stranger was trying to make small talk with me. “I’m sorry,” she said again. Her cheeks turned even redder, and she frowned. “My dad used to tell me that I was too friendly, and it would get me in trouble some day.”
I smiled timidly. “I don’t have that problem.
Talking to people doesn’t come naturally to me.”
“Well, I’m an only child,” she said. “I got lonely, so I made it come naturally.” She giggled nervously and tucked a strand of long, dark brown hair behind slightly large ears. “I just like being a friendly person, and some people see that as strange.”
“It’s not strange,” I lied. “Some people are just meant to be friendlier than others. If you like talking to strangers, you should talk to strangers…I guess. That came out weird.”
She giggled again, this time less nervous than she was before. “Yeah, it did. You make it sound like you think talking to strangers is gonna get me snatched by a pervert and taken away. I don’t think that’ll happen.”
“You can never be too sure,” I said, frowning. “There are tons of hidden dangers out there. You should be careful, even if you think you can take care of yourself.”
She cocked her head to the side and studied me. Then she slowly extended her hand. “My name’s Tabitha. I know, it’s a god awful name, but what can I do about it? It’s not like I got to pick it.”
Smiling, I took her hand and shook it. “Veronica, but I just go by Ronnie. It sounds less terrible.”
“Parents shouldn’t be allowed to give their children such horrible names,” Tabitha said with a smile. “It would make our lives so much easier.” Her smile faded a bit, and she shifted nervously. “Listen, I’m kind of new in town, just moved in with my grandparents, and I could really use some breakfast. Know any good places to eat?”
I looked over my shoulder at Finn. He was flirting with the blonde girl. She twirled a long strand of dyed blonde hair around her finger, and she nibbled nervously on her lip. She placed her hand on Finn’s broad chest and splayed her fingers across his shirt, nails lightly scratching across the exposed skin of his firm chest. Apparently she was more used to male attention than I’d originally thought.
My hands clenched at my sides, and I turned to face Tabitha again, only to find her staring at Finn with open disgust. “I know the perfect place,” I said quietly. “It’s the only one in town, but it shouldn’t be too busy right now. They make the best omelets around.”
Tabitha and I snuck out the front door. I only stopped long enough to give Finn one last disgusted look over my shoulder, before heading off down the street after Tabitha.
Chapter Three
The restaurant was only half-way filled, and Tabitha and I slid into a booth at the back of the restaurant, away from prying eyes. I caught a waitress’s eye, and she grabbed two glasses of ice water and two menus, and made her way to the back. She set the glasses down on the table and handed the two of us a menu. Then she took a small notepad out of her apron pocket, clicked her pen, and gave us an expectant look.
I’d been waited on by Kendra before, and she had never really liked me. She had the same bored look on her face now as she did every other time, and she popped her gum impatiently. “Well, what can I get for you?”
I looked at Tabitha, who was busy studying the menu. “I think we need a minute,” I said, looking back at Kendra.
“Why am I not surprised?” Kendra asked with a sigh, tucking her notepad back into her apron pockets. She turned on her heels and walked away, leaving a stunned Tabitha.
“What is her problem? Do you two know each other or something?”
I shrugged. “She’s waited on me a few times in the past, and I always kind of got the feeling that she didn’t like me. But I don’t think she really likes anyone that eats at this place. She’s just not a people person, and I bet she thinks waiting tables is beneath her. She’s got a kind of snooty look to her.”
Tabitha nodded her head. “When she popped that gum, I had to bite my tongue to keep from doing or saying something snarky.”
I laughed. “I felt the same way. I usually just settle for a discreet eye roll in situations like that. It seems more polite.”
Tabitha giggled. She played with the ice in her drink by swishing the cubes around with her straw, and she looked out the window near our booth. “This town is so small and peaceful. I can understand why my grandparents like it here.” She looked at me and frowned. “Do you think I could fit in here?”
I shrugged. I didn’t know Tabitha all that well, and I was kind of surprised at myself for having breakfast with a stranger, but I felt bad for her. It sucked to be all alone in a new place, with nobody to count on, and I knew that from experience. When Susan and Alan took me in, I didn’t really know anyone in town since my parents had always been very secretive, and I had a bad history behind me.
“Well, you have your grandparents to help you out. I think if you give it some time, you’ll find a place to fit in, and everything will work out for the best. At first, people are going to talk about you, but that’s just because you’re the new girl. Just ignore it, and it’ll go away eventually.”
Tabitha nodded. “I’ve been the new girl before, and it does suck, but I think I can tough it out until it gets better. I mean, I’ve only gotta stay here for like three years, and then I’m outta here.”
“You’re a sophomore?”
She nodded. “Yeah. At least, I will be when school starts in like six weeks or so. I can’t believe the summer’s gone by so fast. It seems like just yesterday that I was swimming in the pond down the road from my dad’s house, and staying up at night to watch fireworks.” Her eyes took on a painful, sad look, and she ducked her head. “I’m sorry,” she said, choking up.
“It’s okay,” I said, alarmed at her reaction to a simple memory. “I understand how you must feel. I lost my mom when I was younger. It still hurts, but the pain gets bearable after awhile.” I hesitated for a second, unsure if I should even ask my next question. “Tabitha, how did your parents die?”
She sniffed once. “My mom died in labor with me, and my dad was killed in a drunk driving accident a few weeks ago. This is the first time I’ve left my grandpa’s house since the funeral. I just figured some fresh air could do me some good.” Her eyes lifted to mine, and I saw a level of fear and uncertainty that matched my own at one point in my life. “Does that sound pathetic?”
I shook my head. “No, it doesn’t.”
We lapsed into a thoughtful, slightly uncomfortable silence while we looked over the menus in our hands. My eyes took in the printed words, but they didn’t really register. I already knew what I was going to have, and I was waiting for Tabitha to decide. When I looked up from the menu, she had an odd look on her face, and I realized she was staring at my chest.
“What’s up with your necklace?”
I glanced down and frowned. It was humming gently from its normal place between my breasts, and there was a faint silver glow around it. It was telling me that there was another supernatural in the area, and I glanced up nervously, looking for Finn. He was sure to have found me by now, and I could only imagine how pissed off he would be.
I searched the entire restaurant, and came up empty-handed. Finn was nowhere to be seen, and I felt an instant moment of panic. If Finn wasn’t around, that meant there was another supernatural in the area, and this one might mean to harm me. What would happen if they found me? Would I be able to protect myself? What about any innocent bystanders that got in the way?
“Ronnie, why is your necklace doing that?”
Tabitha looked a little freaked out, and she pulled as far away from me as the booth would allow. Think of a lie. Think of a good one and think of it fast!
“Oh, this?” I asked, holding up the necklace so she could see it, and plastering a fake smile across my face. “It always does that. My mom bought this for me when I was younger, and she told me it was some special kind of gemstone from Africa, and it tends to look like it’s glowing in the light.” I tucked it back into my shirt, hoping she bought my rushed story. It sounded kind of fake and I wasn’t sure if she would believe me or not, but I silently prayed that she did.
She looked at me for a few seconds longer, before smiling again. “Cool. Do you know what kind
of gemstone it is? It kind of looks like amethyst. I think that’s February’s birthstone, right?”
I shrugged. “It might be; I don’t know. My birthday is in the summer, not winter. My mom just thought it was pretty and I would like it. I haven’t taken it off since then,” I said, pretending to be embarrassed about it, hoping it would keep Tabitha from asking more questions. “It was the last thing she gave me, and it means a lot to me.”
“I understand,” Tabitha said, pushing aside her menu. “When you wear it, it’s kind of like having a part of your mother still with you.”
Tabitha and I both went quiet again, and we waited for Kendra to come back and take our orders. While we waited, I thought about my necklace some more. Living at the compound with other supernatural beings had my necklace humming constantly, and I had unfortunately grown to ignore it. How long had it been humming before Tabitha noticed it?
*****
“Thanks for breakfast, Ronnie,” Tabitha said, closing the restaurant door behind her. “It was really nice to get out and talk to someone, even if it was someone I don’t really know.”
I nodded. “I know how you feel. I haven’t had anyone new to talk to in a while. It’s just me and a couple of my friends, and I don’t think they really understand how I feel. They know who they are, and I don’t know if I ever will.”
They all grew up knowing about the supernatural world, so they don’t feel out of place, no matter where they go or what they do. They know who they are, and they know how our world works. I’m still figuring things out, and even though they’re still at the compound, they know what the outside world is like. I don’t.
Tabitha nodded. “I know what you mean. I feel like nobody understands the pain I’m in. I mean, I understand that my grandparents miss my mom and dad, but so do I, and in a way they can’t imagine. I never even got to meet my mother before she died. All I have of her are stories told by other people.”
I felt a surge of pity for Tabitha as she talked about her mother. I missed my mother like crazy–even more since I found out that she might not be able to contact me from the afterlife again–but at least I had good memories of her. Tabitha had nothing. She didn’t even know who her mother was. Stories told from other people could only give her so much.
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